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Red Sox swap righties between Boston and Worcester

After a miserable performance on Monday, the Red Sox have optioned Richard Fitts to Worcester and brought up Cooper Criswell in replacement.

Red Sox pitcher Richard Fitts

Apr 12, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Richard Fitts (80) pitches during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field.

Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The Red Sox made some roster moves on Tuesday after Monday's 7-6 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. The headline of the announcement was the decision to swap righty starters optioning Richard Fitts to Worcester and recall Cooper Criswell to the big-league club.

Fitts, 25, played five major league games in 2025 before being shipped out of town. He missed time in late April and most of May due to injury, but his second appearance back at the mound, Tuesday, led to his dismissal from Boston. Fitts lasted just one inning during Tuesday's start, allowing four hits (three home runs), for six Angel runs (five earned), and no strikeouts.

Conversely, the new arrival, Criswell, has made three major league appearances in 2025, but not since early April and all out of the bullpen. He has an ugly 10.38 ERA at the major league level in 2025. If he does indeed replace Fitts in the rotation, he will need to get used to it. Out of the 41 appearances Criswell has made in the majors, only 20 have been starts.

The other, less notable moves that the Red Sox made on Tuesday include recalling pitcher Zack Kelly, and they placed pitcher Nick Burdi on the 15-Day Injured List due to a right foot contusion.

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.