Boston Red Sox closer Koji Uehara gave up two home runs in the ninth inning last night to allow the New York Yankees a come-from-behind win, and has allowed 10 runs in his last 4 2/3 innings of work. Coupled with the fact that Uehara is 39 years old, the team may just decide to shut him down for the rest of the season, or at the very minimum limit his appearances over the last three weeks of the season.
Red Sox manager John Farrell would not make an announcement before talking to his All-Star closer, but did leave the door open to that possibility, according to Alex Speier of WEEI.
Anytime you give up a lead in the fashion that we did, those are tough games to take.We’d given Koji eight days off, got him an inning of work the other night and still the lack of finish of his split is what allowed a couple pitches to the middle of the plate for a couple home runs,” Farrell told reporters.
and added “From viewing it and even talking to Koji, it’s the finish, whether it’s the intensity behind the delivery of the pitch’¦ on occasion he showed it, the first one had good depth to it on the swing and miss, but the consistency to it, which he’s been so good with, that’s lacking.
“How the team uses Uehara going forward will be a situation where I’ll talk with Koji first, what our plan will be, whether that’s extended rest, whether that’s the potential of shutting him down, that, we just walked off the field and out of respect to Koji, respect for what he’s done for us after two outstanding years, we’re not in position to announce that right now.”
Uehara as pitched 61 1/3 innings this year, with an ERA of 2.64 and has blown five saves in 31 opportunities this year.
With the team securely and last-place in the American League East with a 61-79 record, there doesn’t seem to be much reason to keep running the veteran right-hander out there.
