Post by John on Jun 16, 2006 13:21:53 GMT -4
Red Sox, White Sox swap relievers Riske, Lopez
June 15, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports
BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox sent righty David Riske to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday for lefty Javier Lopez in a trade of relievers.
The Red Sox bullpen had no lefties and had been struggling recently.
"The way (manager Terry Francona) was using Riske, he was certainly behind other right-handers in a similar role," general manager Theo Epstein said in a conference call with reporters. "In the long run, clearing up a bit of that logjam will help us get a look at some younger guys that we want to see pitch in the big leagues."
Also Thursday, Epstein said right-hander Matt Clement returned to Boston to see a doctor about a pain in his right shoulder and biceps. He was pulled with two outs in the fifth inning of Wednesday night's game, an 8-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Epstein had no update on his condition, and neither did Francona in Minnesota.
"Hopefully it's just fatigue," Francona said after Wednesday night's game. "But we have to find out."
Clement, who is 5-5 with a 6.61 ERA, had the same feeling in his previous start -- which was 10 days ago.
Lopez was 2-1 with an 0.55 ERA with 12 saves for Triple-A Charlotte this year. He was expected to be with Boston for Thursday night's finale of a three-game series at Minnesota.
"He started to put things together last year and got off to an amazing start this year," Epstein said.
A fourth-round draft pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998, Lopez was selected by the Red Sox in the 2002 Rule 5 draft. He was traded to the Colorado Rockies the following March.
Lopez, 28, appeared in 171 games with Colorado and Arizona and has a 6-4 record with a 6.09 ERA in the majors. Epstein said Lopez, who is somewhere between a sidearmer and submariner, had been throwing about 80-85 mph and is now averaging 88 mph with his fastball.
"He's a guy who's a very uncomfortable at-bat for lefties, but he's not a guy that you have to always yank out of there after a third of an inning," Epstein said. "The way our bullpen's evolved, there's certainly a role for somebody like that."
Riske, obtained by Boston in an offseason trade that brought center fielder Coco Crisp to the Red Sox, was 0-1 with a 3.72 ERA in eight appearances. He was on the disabled list with a lower back strain from April 12 through May 22.
"I think it's great," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He's pitched well against us. We like his arm. Hopefully he'll help us."
To make room for Riske, the White Sox optioned rookie right-hander Sean Tracey to Triple-A Charlotte.
Guillen said the demotion had nothing to do with the pitcher's outing against Texas on Wednesday night. Guillen yelled at Tracey in the White Sox dugout, apparently because Tracey failed to hit Texas' Hank Blalock in retaliation for the two times Rangers starter Vicente Padilla drilled Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski during the game.
Tracey faced only one hitter -- Blalock -- before Guillen removed Tracey from the game. TV cameras caught Guillen in the dugout throwing down a water bottle in disgust and shouting at Tracey, who was so upset that he pulled his uniform top over his head.
"This kid was sent down because we made a trade, that's the reason we did it," Guillen said before Thursday night's game against Texas.
Riske will join the White Sox on Friday for the start of their three-game series in Cincinnati.
June 15, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports
BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox sent righty David Riske to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday for lefty Javier Lopez in a trade of relievers.
The Red Sox bullpen had no lefties and had been struggling recently.
"The way (manager Terry Francona) was using Riske, he was certainly behind other right-handers in a similar role," general manager Theo Epstein said in a conference call with reporters. "In the long run, clearing up a bit of that logjam will help us get a look at some younger guys that we want to see pitch in the big leagues."
Also Thursday, Epstein said right-hander Matt Clement returned to Boston to see a doctor about a pain in his right shoulder and biceps. He was pulled with two outs in the fifth inning of Wednesday night's game, an 8-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins.
Epstein had no update on his condition, and neither did Francona in Minnesota.
"Hopefully it's just fatigue," Francona said after Wednesday night's game. "But we have to find out."
Clement, who is 5-5 with a 6.61 ERA, had the same feeling in his previous start -- which was 10 days ago.
Lopez was 2-1 with an 0.55 ERA with 12 saves for Triple-A Charlotte this year. He was expected to be with Boston for Thursday night's finale of a three-game series at Minnesota.
"He started to put things together last year and got off to an amazing start this year," Epstein said.
A fourth-round draft pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1998, Lopez was selected by the Red Sox in the 2002 Rule 5 draft. He was traded to the Colorado Rockies the following March.
Lopez, 28, appeared in 171 games with Colorado and Arizona and has a 6-4 record with a 6.09 ERA in the majors. Epstein said Lopez, who is somewhere between a sidearmer and submariner, had been throwing about 80-85 mph and is now averaging 88 mph with his fastball.
"He's a guy who's a very uncomfortable at-bat for lefties, but he's not a guy that you have to always yank out of there after a third of an inning," Epstein said. "The way our bullpen's evolved, there's certainly a role for somebody like that."
Riske, obtained by Boston in an offseason trade that brought center fielder Coco Crisp to the Red Sox, was 0-1 with a 3.72 ERA in eight appearances. He was on the disabled list with a lower back strain from April 12 through May 22.
"I think it's great," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He's pitched well against us. We like his arm. Hopefully he'll help us."
To make room for Riske, the White Sox optioned rookie right-hander Sean Tracey to Triple-A Charlotte.
Guillen said the demotion had nothing to do with the pitcher's outing against Texas on Wednesday night. Guillen yelled at Tracey in the White Sox dugout, apparently because Tracey failed to hit Texas' Hank Blalock in retaliation for the two times Rangers starter Vicente Padilla drilled Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski during the game.
Tracey faced only one hitter -- Blalock -- before Guillen removed Tracey from the game. TV cameras caught Guillen in the dugout throwing down a water bottle in disgust and shouting at Tracey, who was so upset that he pulled his uniform top over his head.
"This kid was sent down because we made a trade, that's the reason we did it," Guillen said before Thursday night's game against Texas.
Riske will join the White Sox on Friday for the start of their three-game series in Cincinnati.