Just when it seemed like the Red Sox had survived a rash of injuries to their starting rotation, another two popped up over the weekend.
With Garrett Whitlock (hip) getting closer to a rehab assignment and a return to the bullpen and Nathan Eovaldi taking big strides and throwing bullpens and Chris Sale now perhaps one more minor league start away from joining the parent club, things were trending in the right direction.
Then, in the span of a few days, Rich Hill suffered a knee sprain necessitating a trip to the IL and Michael Wacha was scratched from Monday's scheduled start due to a "heavy arm.''
At almost exactly the halfway point of the season, Nick Pivetta is the only Red Sox starter to not miss a start.
Ordinarily, that would be cause for panic for the Red Sox -- or any other team similarly affected. Teams usually suffer the consequences when they experience manpower issues on the mound.
The Red Sox, however, have not. And for that, they can thank their player development system.
For the holiday matinee, the Red Sox chose to take the "bullpen game'' approach to the Tampa Bay Rays. That might not have inspired much confidence for those who have watched the Red Sox bullpen this season; it's hard to have a lot of confidence in a group that has combined for 18 blown saves, second-most in the game.
But things worked out surprisingly well. Opener Austin Davis, pitching for the first time in more than a week, gave them two scoreless innings. Next came Kutter Crawford, who assumed the "bulk reliever'' role by going 5.1 innings during which he allowed just two hits and a walk while racking up eight strikeouts. Finally, John Schreiber took care of the final five outs.
And presto, the Red Sox had themselves their seventh shutout of the season, a 4-0 decision over the Tampa Bay Rays, and importantly, a win to kick off 14 straight matchups exclusively with the Rays and Yankees that will take the Sox up to the All-Star break.
In past years, the Red Sox might have wilted under the absence of their veteran starters. Losing two starters from the Opening Day rotation -- Eovaldi, and Hill -- to the IL and a third (Wacha) experiencing arm soreness would be enough to send a club into a tailspin. But thanks to dependable reinforcements from within, that's hardly been the case.
Monday was the 10th time the Red Sox had to turn to someone who was not previously part of their rotation. In those 10 games, they're not 6-4.
Josh Winckowski has stepped up nicely, with the team going 3-2 in his five starts. In the two he's lost, the Sox lost by scores of 4-2 and 3-1. Crawford, who while not starting Monday got more outs than any pitcher for the Sox, is 2-1 in his three appearances. And the Sox are 1-1 in games started by Connor Seabold.
That kind of depth would have been unthinkable in recent seasons for a franchise that has done a poor job developing young starters. But if the first half of this season is any indication, that narrative is undergoing a change.
"It's been fun to watch,'' said Alex Cora. "Like I always said, (pitching coach Paul Abbott and manager Chad Tracy and other coaches) and the pitching department and player development have all done an amazing job. We feel comfortable doing this. That's why we make decisions in the bullpen, because we feel stuff-wise, these kids are really good and little by little, you can see them gaining confidence when they come up here.
"Seabold did a good job (Sunday). He threw the ball well. Kutter was amazing today. Let's see what happens on Wednesday (when the Sox may need to plug in another minor leaguer). It's been fun to watch. It's been a lot different than in previous years.''
It's worth noting, too, that while all three pitchers who have been promoted has performed well, none is considered to be among the top starting prospects in the organization. Those designations belong to Brayan Bello and Bryan Mata (recovering from Tommy John surgery at Single A). Bello is the leading candidate to fill in Wednesday, which will bring a great deal of anticipation to the series.
But if nothing else, Winckowski, with his heavy sinker and good mound presence, has shown himself to be, at minimum, a back of the rotation piece. And Crawford and Seabold could continue to contribute, as either back-end starters or swingmen, capable of helping out in the bullpen.
"These kids have been really solid,'' said Cora. "I just tip my hat to Player Development and what they do, and with (pitching coach Dave Bush, bullpen coach Kevin Walker and game-planning coach Jason Varitek), it's been fun to watch.''
To say nothing of necessary.