Red Sox southpaw provides injury update; continues to rehab from Tommy John surgery
Red Sox left-hander Chris Murphy made his big league debut pitching out of the bullpen after he was promoted as a rookie in 2023.
The lefty owned a 1-2 record with a 4.91 ERA while striking out 49 batters in 47 2/3 frames (20 games). Murphy worked out of the Red Sox bullpen following his promotion and was strong out of the gate.
Following his MLB debut, he posted a 2.94 ERA in 33 2/3 innings (11 appearances), but like most rookies, he struggled, watching his ERA balloon, finishing with a 4.91 ERA.
Murphy ended up injuring his throwing elbow last March, and an MRI revealed significant ligament damage. He underwent Tommy John surgery in April.
The southpaw is now working his way back to the Red Sox roster, throwing two bullpen sessions so far this spring. In his first bullpen, he threw 10 pitches, and in his second bullpen, he tossed 15 pitches.
“All fastballs,” Murphy said to reporters at JetBlue Park. “Progressing well. On track right now for, I think it’s an April 10 live (BP). Beyond that, I don’t know what the plan is from there.”
Murphy wants to “definitely” return to game action at some point this season. He's hoping to return in the first half of the season, but that is far from a guarantee.
Prior to Murphy’s promotion during the 2023 campaign, the southpaw struggled in the minors, pitching for the WooSox. He had a 7.71 ERA in 10 outings (nine starts) for the Triple-A Worcester. At the time of his promotion, Murphy didn’t think he deserved to be called up based on his struggles as a starter.
“In ‘23 for some reason I just couldn’t start anymore,” Murphy said to reporters, including MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “That stamina wasn’t there in terms of arm health. We were able to get it in short spurts like we saw in the big leagues. And I was like, ‘OK, well, maybe if I get healthy, maybe I’ll do what I was doing starting—walk less, guys, throw more strikes.' Who knows if I could be a starter at some point down the line.”
Once Murphy returns from the injured list, the club hasn’t discussed with him what his role will be for the team.
“I have no clue what the direction is,” Murphy said. “I assumed it’s probably a bulk role, no matter if that’s a starter or reliever. Hopefully multi-innings. I feel like that’s something that’s going on in baseball now—guys that can go two innings, guys that can go three innings. So have some utility."
