Sean Newcomb mentioned as possible Red Sox fill-in starter
The Boston Red Sox must find a way to fill the back half of their starting pitching rotation as Opening Day quickly approaches. There are many names that could replace the three injured Red Sox arms (Cooper Criswell, Richard Fitts, and Quinn Priester), but the latest one to be presented is Sean Newcomb.
“They’re all throwing the ball well. They’re capable of going that. We’ll make a decision, probably in the upcoming days,” said manager Alex Cora, via Peter Abraham.
Newcomb was added to the Red Sox’ list of non-roster invitees to spring training in January. He’s started three games, registering a 1-0 record, a 0.93 ERA, and 10 strikeouts through 9.2 innings of work.
It’s unlikely the Red Sox added Newcomb with the expectation he would soon become a starter for the big league club, but with only half their rotation available, they will need to fill games. What Newcomb has going for him is his experience. At 32 years old, Newcomb has been around major league clubs for eight years.
Although, his career numbers are not astonishing (28-25 record, 4.51 ERA, 431 innings pitch, and 438 strikeouts), he could still be effective as an emergency fill in — which would be what the Sox currently need.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.
