Purple Sox demoting Walker Buehler to bullpen after brutal stretch
The Purple Sox have given Walker Buehler the boot.
Supervisor Alex Cora introduced on Friday that Buehler, 31, will likely be moved to the bullpen till additional discover.
“Yeah, he’s going to the bullpen,” Cora informed reporters earlier than Friday’s sport in opposition to the Yankees. “I talked to him final evening about his new function and we’ll work out the way it goes. Perhaps one inning, a number of innings, we don’t know but.”
Regardless of the change, Cora insisted that he nonetheless believes in Buehler, and that he’s going to “assist us out.”
“I nonetheless consider in him,” Cora added. “He’s an enormous a part of what we try to perform…hopefully he can reset, go on the market and pound the strike zone and simplify the assault and assist us win ballgames.”
Cora has but to call a starter for Monday’s sport in opposition to the Orioles, which was slated as Buehler’s subsequent begin.
Buehler’s demotion comes after an unimpressive season up to now with the Purple Sox, the place the righty has pitched to a 7-7 document with a 5.40 ERA by way of 22 begins.
In his previous two begins, Buehler has given up six earned runs whereas strolling eight and surrendering eight hits.
When requested in regards to the transfer, the two-time All-Star stated that it was probably the most effective determination for the crew and that he’ll “attempt to embrace” the brand new function.
“The group and to a lesser extent myself suppose it’s in all probability the correct factor for our group and provides me a possibility to reset ultimately,” Buehler informed reporters Friday. “When it comes to this yr’s crew, I feel it’s the correct factor to do … I’ll attempt to embrace it for the following couple of months.”
Buehler, who signed a one-year deal price $21.05 million with the Purple Sox in December, additionally gave a blunt evaluation of how his stuff has been this season, saying that his pitches have “sucked” all year long.
“It’s onerous to say these two are the winners after they all form of sucked all yr,” he stated.
