Manager Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox front office have set their final Opening Day roster for the 2025 season. Pitchers Brennan Bernardino and Cooper Criswell have won the last available roster spots on a day when the front office made multiple transactions.
The Massachusetts team hasn’t appeared in five of the last six postseasons. Everyone is hoping that this streak will end after an impressive offseason. However, not all the news is good for the Red Sox, as Liam Hendriks will start the season on the IL due to elbow inflammation.
“I don’t think there’s anything significant going on,” said chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to MassLive.com. “Just wasn’t bouncing back the way he had hoped, stuff wasn’t where he wanted it to be. It didn’t make sense to try to rush him. We’ll give him a chance to catch his breath but feel like he should be back pretty quickly.”
Hendriks was the favorite for the closer role, which Aroldis Chapman ultimately won. The veteran pitcher signed a two-year contract with the Red Sox in February 2024, but he hasn’t played since 2023 due to Tommy John surgery performed in August of that year.
The 36-year-old pitcher struggled during Spring Training, allowing seven runs in 6.1 innings. His velocity also dropped, and now he is concerned about his elbow again.
“The last one wasn’t good. Velo was down. He didn’t bounce back,” said manager Alex Cora to MassLive.com. “It’s the smart thing to do. We don’t want him to grind. Velo was trending in the right direction until the last one so we decided to put him on the IL.”
The Red Sox also officially announced that pitcher Sean Newcomb has been added to the 26-man roster, along with infielder Kristian Campbell.
READ MORE: Alex Cora names Rafael Devers full-time DH: «We are in the winning business»
The Boston Red Sox also officially announced that Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello, and Masataka Yoshida will start the season on the IL, as expected. Yoshida is currently dealing with a back issue and is heading to Boston for a medical consultation, according to Sean McAdam.
