In his return from the injured list Matt Barnes seems to be regaining his confidence
After a rough start to the season, Matt Barnes is showing some positive signs in August
Photo Credit: Boston Red Sox's Matt Barnes plays against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo) SOURCE: Michael Dwyer
For Matt Barnes, the 2022 campaign has been full of disappointment. The veteran reliever has battled injuries and struggled when healthy. In 26 appearances, he has a 6.45 ERA after a less than ideal finish to the 2021 campaign. While his stat line is the worst of his career, Barnes has started to provide some optimism his last few times out.
Since returning from the injured list on August fourth, Barnes has allowed one earned run in 5.1 innings pitched. In that span, he has struck out six batters and limited baserunners. With each outing, the former first-round pick seems more comfortable on the mound, and he is finding success in high-leverage situations.
On Wednesday, Barnes had perhaps his best moment of the season. With the Red Sox up 5-3, he was called upon to get the final three outs. The 32-year-old did not allow a hit and recorded his first save in over a year. He continued to dominate as he struck out two out of three batters he faced.
So far this month, Barnes is avoiding the mistakes that affected him earlier this year. He has only allowed multiple baserunners in one out of his six appearances. He is holding opponents to a .158 batting average and has multiple strikeouts in each of his last three appearances. In the past, that is when the Connecticut native was at his best.
Additionally, since the start of August, Barnes has seen his ERA drop by over a run. The former 19th overall pick is currently averaging 94-96 miles per hour with his fastball, and his curveball has been in vintage form. Although it is a small sample size getting Barnes back on track would be huge for the Red Sox bullpen with Tanner Houck currently on the IL.
As the Red Sox make their postseason push, how Barnes is used will be interesting to see. Alex Cora has not been afraid to use him in the eighth or ninth inning this month, and so far, it has paid off. After a brutal start to the season, the 2021 All-Star has shown over the last two weeks that he still has something left in the tank.
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