The Boston Red Sox are in need of fresh pitching, with injuries depleting the rotation and overuse wearing down the bullpen—Brennan Bernardino, in particular, has seen heavy action.
Fortunately, reinforcements may be on the horizon: Kutter Crawford updates are trickling in, Zach Penrod has been optioned to Triple-A and debuted with a clean inning, and Chris Murphy made his first rehab appearance Wednesday night with High-A Greenville, his first game since September 2023.
Murphy pitched a strong first inning, striking out two, allowing just one hit, and throwing 10 of 13 pitches for strikes—mostly curveballs. The 26-year-old lefty, who debuted with Boston in 2023, is returning from elbow surgery and is expected to move quickly through rehab.
While he’ll likely be optioned to Triple-A when activated from the 60-day IL, Murphy adds a valuable, flexible bullpen option for the Red Sox, capable of helping manage workloads during the stretch run. His solid outing marks a promising step in his comeback.
