Chad Tracy Thinks Veteran In Triple-A 'Can Help' Red Sox Amid Pitching Woes

Chad Tracy Thinks Veteran In Triple-A 'Can Help' Red Sox Amid Pitching Woes originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Despite all of the moves the Boston Red Sox made to the starting rotation in the offseason, they find themselves struggling in that department.

Some injuries are hurting the Red Sox right now. Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo are all on the injured list. Rangers Suarez and Connelly Early have looked good lately, but Brayan Bello's struggles have put the Red Sox in a tough position. Bello has a 9.12 ERA through six starts.

The Red Sox are already leaning on their depth to cover injuries, so who do they have left to call on? Their starting pitching options are limited at the moment, but some relievers in the organization could provide a spark. Chad Tracy thinks veteran pitcher Tommy Kahnle can help the team.

“For a veteran of his caliber that’s been around, yes, he can help out,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Wednesday, per MassLive's Christopher Smith. “He’s been around the big leagues for a really long time. He knows how to pitch. He’s been here, he’s pitched in the playoffs. So absolutely can help out.”

Kahnle has an upward mobility clause in his contract. The upward mobility clause allows a big league team to sign Kahnle to their major league roster on May 1 if the Red Sox do not do so. If he is not in the big leagues by June 1, he has an opt-out. The Red Sox are up against the clock when it comes to Kahnle. They need to make a decision soon.

Kahnle is not going to solve the rotation woes. However, he could give the team a reliable arm out of the bullpen who can help keep teams off the board if starters are not able to go deep. He has a 3.24 ERA in 8 1/3 innings of work in Triple-A. He has not allowed a run in his last three outings. Five of his seven outings have been scoreless.