The Red Sox announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Robert Stock. Fellow righty Cooper Criswell was optioned to Triple-A Worcester to open an active roster spot. The Sox had a 40-man vacancy after trading Quinn Priester to the Brewers earlier today.
If Stock gets into a game, it will be his first big league appearance in years. He pitched in the bigs from 2018 to 2021 but has been away from the show since then. During that previous stretch in the majors, he pitched for the Padres, Red Sox, Cubs and Mets. He tossed 72 2/3 innings, allowing 4.71 earned runs per nine. He struck out 23.1% of batters faced, gave out walks to 12.2% of opponents and got grounders on 49.8% of balls in play.
He has continued playing baseball since then, travelling the globe in the process. In 2022, he made 29 starts for the Doosan Bears in the KBO League in Korea, posting a 3.60 ERA. He was back in North America in 2023, having signed a minor league deal with the Brewers. But he got lit up in 23 innings, posting an 8.22 ERA, before getting released and landing in Indy Ball.
He pitched for Tecos de los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League last year, putting up a 3.38 ERA in 98 2/3 innings over 19 starts. He hung around in Mexico for winter ball, playing for Naranjeros de Hermosillo. He tossed 84 1/3 innings in 14 starts for that club with a 1.60 ERA, prompting the Red Sox to sign him to a minor league deal in January. He logged three spring innings for the Sox, allowing four earned runs. He then reported to Triple-A Worcester, tossing 8 1/3 scoreless innings over one start and one long relief appearance.
For the Sox, Saturday’s game against the Cardinals was postponed by the weather, forcing a Sunday doubleheader. The Sox won both games yesterday but one of them went to ten innings. They used nine pitchers on the day overall. Criswell threw the final three innings of the nightcap and likely wouldn’t have been available for the next few days.
With the group fairly taxed, Stock has been added to give the bullpen an extra guy capable of throwing multiple innings. If another fresh arm is needed in the coming days, Stock is out of options. That means he would have to be bumped off the 40-man in order to be removed from the active roster.
Photo courtesy of Rick Cinclair, Imagn Images.