The Boston Red Sox may not have their bullpen at full strength when spring training exhibition games begin.
Rookie relief pitcher Zach Penrod, a member of Boston’s 40-man roster, has been dealing with elbow soreness in Fort Myers, Florida. The 27-year-old made his MLB debut with the Red Sox last September, appearing in seven games and posting a 2.25 ERA over four innings of relief. While this brief stint gave him a taste of the big leagues, his immediate future is now uncertain.
“He had an MRI yesterday,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Thursday via team-provided video. “We’re waiting for the results. We’ll know more (on Friday).”
Last season, Penrod also faced injury challenges, suffering a left shin issue after being assigned to Triple-A Worcester in March. Upon recovery, he logged a 4.16 ERA with 93 strikeouts across 22 outings, including 12 starts, before earning a call-up to Boston. Though he wasn’t expected to play a major role in the upcoming season—especially with the Red Sox strengthening their bullpen with key additions—the team remains hopeful for positive news.
“Hopefully everything is OK,” Cora said. “With the lefties, we’ve got (Aroldis Chapman), we’ve got (Justin) Wilson. We’ve got (Brennan Bernardino). We’ve got Penrod. There’s probably more coming in the upcoming days. We felt like the last few years we had good ones but we were short. So like I said, competition is good. The more the better. (Penrod) is part of the equation.”
Penrod, who previously played in the Texas Rangers system, went undrafted in 2018 and spent three years in the Pioneer League’s independent circuit, chasing his big-league dreams. If his MRI results come back clear, he’ll continue his uphill battle to carve out a role in Boston’s bullpen. The Red Sox also have fellow left-handed relievers Jovani Morán and Sean Newcomb in camp as non-roster invitees this spring.
