The Boston Red Sox are shaking things up ahead of their series opener against the Detroit Tigers on Monday, making a series of roster moves that bring a fresh arm to the bullpen and send a veteran reliever to the injured list.
Left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe has been placed on the 15-day IL with cervical (neck) spasms, opening the door for lefty Alec Gamboa to be called up for his first major league stint. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox also moved injured lefty Patrick Sandoval to the 60-day IL in a paper transaction.
Coulombe, 36, has pitched in 12 games this season with a 5.63 ERA. The neck trouble started Sunday morning when he woke up with a spasm, and the pain only worsened, making an IL stint the smart move for both him and the team.
“Woke up yesterday and just had a spasm in my neck,” Coulombe said. “It just hasn’t gotten better. We just want to make sure we take care of it. You worry about mechanical changes when you’re dealing with stuff. It’s hard to pitch when you can’t see home plate. Hopefully, it’s just a quick thing.”
While Coulombe is optimistic the issue could resolve in just a few days, the Red Sox didn’t want to be short-handed in the bullpen with an unreliable arm. The veteran joked about the cause of his injury, saying, “It’s old age. When you sleep on a lot of different pillows, sometimes you can just tweak things.”
Enter Alec Gamboa, who will join the bullpen Monday night and could even serve as an opener in front of righty Brayan Bello on Tuesday. The 26-year-old lefty is making his MLB debut after a long road to the bigs.
“Just happy to be here,” Gamboa said. “It has been a long journey for sure. Excited to be here and compete.”
Gamboa wasn’t originally on the 40-man roster, but a clause in the minor league contract he signed in December gave him an opt-out opportunity on May 1. After triggering that clause, he attracted interest from other teams, prompting the Red Sox to protect their asset by adding him to the big league roster themselves. He’ll now earn a major league salary as he gets his first taste of The Show.