Don't look now, but the Boston Red Sox are making some noise.
The Red Sox picked up their fourth win in five outings with Friday night's 10-3 blowout win over the Chicago White Sox, improving the club's record to 11-10 in the process. The win couldn't have happened without a strong effort from Boston's pitching staff, who limited the AL Central basement-dwellers to two earned runs on six hits with a half-dozen strikeouts.
Red Sox right-handed Hunter Dobbins played well, in particular, recording all six of his club's strikeouts in just as many innings of work. But as great as the rookie hurler performed, his night ended with a hard dose of reality.
Red Sox Demote Hunter Dobbins for Liam Hendriks' Return Following 10-3 Win vs. White Sox
Following Friday night's victory, MassLive's Chris Cotillo reported that the Red Sox are sending Dobbins back to Triple-A Worcester. The move is necessary to make room for veteran RHP Liam Hendriks, who's set to return from an elbow injury that's delayed his start to the 2025 campaign.
With Liam Hendriks due back tomorrow, Hunter Dobbins is headed back to the WooSox after a good outing tonight.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) April 19, 2025
Even though the timing of Dobbins' demotion is unfortunate, it isn't surprising. The 25-year-old hurler was recalled as a temporary fill-in on Friday, less than 24 hours after Hendriks announced his goal to return to the Red Sox's bullpen this weekend.
“Yeah, I think that’s the plan,” Hendriks said on Thursday, according to Boston Herald's Mac Cerullo. “Obviously, the powers above me will decide all that sort of stuff, but that’s the plan as of now.
Dobbins heads back to the minors with a 2-0 record and 2.45 ERA in his first two MLB starts, striking out 11 batters with two walks issued across 11 innings during that stretch. His big-league numbers are actually better than his minor-league performance has been, as he's pitched to an abysmal 10.80 ERA in two relief outings (6 2/3 innings) with Worcester.
Having said that, Dobbins could be back with the Red Sox soon if Hendriks struggles out of the gate.
The three-time MLB All-Star hurler hasn't played a meaningful baseball game since the 2023 campaign. Injuries have prevented Hendriks from suiting up since he signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Red Sox in February 2024, including his current 15-day IL stint due to elbow inflammation.
Fortunately, Hendriks looked like his old self during his latest rehab run. The two-time American League Reliever of the Year pitched three scoreless innings with five strikeouts across a trio of appearances with Worcester and Double-A Portland, making it clear he's ready to return to Boston's bullpen.
Time will tell if either Hendriks or Dobbins will play significant roles in any success the Red Sox see this season. For now, Boston will continue the campaign tied for the seventh-best 2025 World Series odds (+2000) on FanDuel Sportsbook.
More Boston Red Sox News & Rumors:
Odds update periodically and are subject to change.