When Dave Dombrowski acquired Drew Pomeranz from the Padres in July, the thinking was that Pomeranz would shore up the Red Sox's rotation -- both in-season and come playoff time.
Alas, while Pomeranz did a decent job on the former (he held a 98 ERA+ through 13 starts), he won't have a chance to accomplish the latter due to forearm soreness -- a malady that has caused the Red Sox to remove him from the rotation for the rest of the year:
"He's come out of his last start a little more sore," Farrell said. "There's been additional need for recovery time. The total number of innings pitched. There's been a combination of factors. He is not shut down, but he is not starting Thursday. We need to get him on a mound hopefully by the end of the week to determine a bullpen role going forward."
The trade for Pomeranz had a fair amount of controversy surrounding it, of course, and not just because of who the Red Sox gave up to complete the trade.
Dombrowski was reportedly displeased with the medical information given to him by the Padres -- displeasure that has since been vindicated, given A.J. Preller was suspended for his role in the mess. It's hard not to wonder what Dombrowski thinks about Preller's handling right about now.
Without Pomeranz as a postseason rotation possibility, and with Steven Wright injured, the Red Sox figure to fill out their staff with Eduardo Rodriguez and Clay Buchholz -- the latter of whom has had a more tolerable run since returning to the rotation earlier in the month, albeit still at a few steps below Pomeranz. In the interim, Henry Owens will take Pomeranz's final turn in the rotation.
