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Rich Hill To The Disabled List, Mark Melancon Back Up

By Ben Buchanan
April 17, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Mark Melancon (37) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE
April 17, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Mark Melancon (37) pitches against the Texas Rangers during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-US PRESSWIRE

After spending two dominant months in the minor leagues, Mark Melancon is coming back up to Boston, replacing Rich Hill as the lefty heads to the disabled list with a sore forearm.

It's been a while since Melancon's name became the term for "six runs surrendered in an outing." Taking the demotion in stride, to his credit, Melancon retooled his approach on the mound to get it back to where it was in Houston, and saw tremendous results against Triple-A competition, throwing 21.2 innings of two-run ball, striking out 27 and allowing just two walks.

The Sox have been looking for a way to bring Melancon back up for a while now, but with a full bullpen that's proven rather difficulty. It's not clear whether Rich Hill's forearm soreness is actually concerning, or simply an excuse to get Melancon back up without letting any talent go. He's not been getting a ton of run this month, which frankly could support either hypothesis.

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