While the Red Sox do not need to panic at news that Curt Schilling will be sidelined with shoulder soreness until at least the All Star Break this season, they should explore other options for starting pitching depth in case Schilling is unable to return or is ineffective when he does.
At first glance, inserting rookie phenom Clay Buchholz into the starting seems to be the logical choice, though it seems Boston was likely to have Buchholz start the season in Triple A Pawtucket where his innings could be more closely monitored. The beauty of Boston's pitching depth was that they would not have to overwork Buchholz or their other young pitcher Jon Lester this season and would also have the flexibility to give regular rest to Schilling and Tim Wakefield, both on the wrong side of 40 and both who wore down last season and had to do stints on the disabled list. Standard thinking in the industry says not to increase a young pitcher's workload by more than 30 innings over his previous careers high in innings pitched, something the Red Sox have been careful to heed in developing their young arms. That puts Lester and Buchholz at a cap of 193 and 178 innings, including the playoffs, this season.
Continue reading "Red Sox Don't Need to Panic Over Schilling Injury"
