Left-hander Jake Bennett was recalled from Triple-A Worcester to make his major league debut on Friday when the Boston Red Sox host the Houston Astros.
The move comes on the heels of the Red Sox placing ace Garrett Crochet on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation on Wednesday. Bennett will take the roster spot made vacant when utilityman Nate Eaton was optioned Thursday.
Bennett, 25, was scratched from his start for Worcester on Tuesday.
“Big-time strike thrower,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said. “The velocity and the fastball has obviously ticked up. He was coming off an arm injury when he was with Washington. But when he’s sitting there 94 (mph) — another guy kind of like (Payton) Tolle, doesn’t throw as hard, but big guy that really gets down the mound with big extension. So he tends to get in on hitters, too, because the fastball plays up.”
The former second-round draft pick by the Washington Nationals in 2022 is 2-1 with a 0.86 ERA in five starts with Worcester this season. He has struck out 16 and walked three in 21 innings.
Boston acquired Bennett from Washington for pitching prospect Luis Perales last December. He missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
“He’s in the zone a lot,” Tracy said. “Does a good job of holding runners. He can go from a slide step, he can use a leg kick, lands all stuff. But he’s really, really good, at least down there has been, getting the ball in the strike zone. And he gets a lot of weak contact.”
