Red Sox pitcher Collin McHugh opts out of 2020 season
By Alex Barth, 985TheSportsHub.com
It’s one in, one out for the Boston Red Sox pitching staff.
Two days after the team announced the signing of Zack Godley, 33-year-old right hander Collin McHugh has opted out of the 2020 MLB season. Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke announced McHugh’s decision to the media during a Sunday afternoon press conference.
McHugh is the first member of the Red Sox to opt out of the season. According to Roenicke, the decision isn’t directly related to COVID-19, but stems from elbow surgery McHugh had back in December.
“His arm is just not coming around like he had hoped,” Roenicke told reporters. “He knew he was probably going to spend some time on the IL. If he was going to do that, with what’s going on with the pandemic, he would feel better if he was at home with his family during that time.”
McHugh signed with the Red Sox back in March after spending 2019 in the Astros bullpen. He was expected to fill an ‘opener’ role for the Red Sox this season to lighten the load on the already decimated starting rotation.
The Red Sox first game of the 2020 season is less than a week away, they open up at Fenway Park against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.
