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Early Makes Red Sox Roster, Rotation Spot Secured
24 Mar
Summary
- Early secured a spot on the Red Sox's Opening Day roster.
- He will compete for a rotation spot with Oviedo, while Tolle starts in Triple-A.
- Early had a strong spring training with a 1.59 ERA over 17 innings.
Right-handed pitcher Justin Early has earned a spot on the Boston Red Sox's Opening Day roster, as confirmed by Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Early was in contention for the fifth rotation spot alongside Payton Tolle and Johan Oviedo.
The Red Sox plan to carry both Early and Oviedo to provide pitching depth early in the season. This strategy addresses the need for sustained innings while key starters Ranger Suarez and Brayan Bello regain full strength following their participation in the World Baseball Classic.
Garrett Crochet is slated to be Boston's Opening Day starter against the Cincinnati Reds, with Sonny Gray pitching the following day. Suarez is expected to start on Monday against Houston, and Bello is scheduled for Tuesday. This rotation could potentially lead to Early's first start of the season as early as Sunday against the Reds.
Early demonstrated strong performance during spring training. In five Grapefruit League appearances, including four starts, he recorded a 1.59 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP. He also showcased his strikeout potential with a 16:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 17 innings pitched.
