Red Sox place Dustin Pedroia on 60-day IL, claim Phillips Valdez off waivers

By Alex Barth, 985TheSportsHub.com

In order to add much-needed depth to their bullpen, the Red Sox have officially placed Dustin Pedroia on the 60-day IL Sunday. The team used the open roster spot to claim reliever Phillips Valdez off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

The Pedroia move shouldn't come as much of a surprise. It was reported before Spring Training started that the 36-year-old wouldn't be reporting to camp with the team as he continues to work his way back from multiple knee surgeries. Pedroia has played in just nine total games over the last two seasons.

Boston gave Pedroia's 40-man roster spot to Phillips Valdez, a right handed relief pitcher from the Dominican Republic. The 28-year-old made his MLB debut for the Texas Rangers last June. He pitched in 11 games in 2019, throwing 16 inning while posting a 3.94 ERA. The Mariners claimed him off waivers at the beginning of the offseason, but DFA'ed him on Saturday.

Valdez throws a low-90's sinker as his fastball, as well as a slider and changeup that hang in the mid-80's. While he has only been used as a reliever in the majors, Valdez came up through the Rangers and Nationals systems as a starter, something that may have been attractive to the Red Sox given their severe lack of depth among starting pitchers.