The Red Sox bullpen is in need of reinforcements. Since the start of May, Boston relievers have pitched 141.2 innings—second only to the Milwaukee Brewers in usage during that span.
Justin Slaten had been a reliable arm in high-pressure situations earlier this season, frequently pitching in the seventh or eighth innings of tight games. According to Baseball Reference, 18 of his 24 outings have been classified as “high leverage,” tying him with Aroldis Chapman for the most on the team. Chapman, by comparison, has made 28 appearances.
Slaten was placed on the injured list on June 1 due to shoulder fatigue. At the time, he was hopeful it would be a short stint, aiming to return as soon as he was eligible on June 13. However, that timeline now appears doubtful.
Per Christopher Smith of MassLive, Slaten still hasn’t resumed throwing. Since he’ll need time to work through a throwing progression before being game-ready, it’s clear his recovery is slower than anticipated.
Before the injury, Slaten was in the midst of a 10-game streak without allowing an earned run. In his absence, Greg Weissert has stepped into a critical late-inning role and has thrived—he struck out all three batters he faced in the seventh inning of Saturday’s 10-7 win over the Yankees.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been actively shuffling the bullpen, bringing up arms from Triple-A Worcester to manage both workload and effectiveness. Relievers like Zack Kelly, Luis Guerrero, Cooper Criswell, and Robert Stock have all recently moved between Worcester and Boston. Until Slaten is back, the team will need to continue finding dependable bullpen innings from this revolving cast.