:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49390753/usa-today-9190854.0.jpg)
Henry Owens will make his 2016 debut Sunday night against the Astros.
Xander's back! Xander's back! Xander's back! The world isn't quite ending just yet! Huzzah!
And Mookie is still playing, just in case anyone was concerned about that relatively minor incident early in Saturday's game.
Not much to be said about this one, though. The Red Sox have their full lineup in the field, with Hanigan over Vazquez the only exception. A lot of this is going to come down to Henry Owens' ability to hang in his first start. And as for how likely that is to happen...well, it's a mixed bag. Who can say? Owens has been very successful in Pawtucket this year. But successful is a specific term. He's kept runs off the board.
As for how he's pitching...well, it's a mixed bag. Tons of strikeouts! 23 in 18 innings! That's great! But also 10 walks in the same amount of time. That could work out in the majors. Or he could give up eight runs in the first inning. It's a volatile...let's call it a style...which you have to see work at the majors to know if it can or not.
The good news for Owens, at least, is he's done it before. Reasonably, at least. A 4.57 ERA isn't amazing, but it was passable in his MLB debut last season, and while he wasn't walking more than a batter every other inning in 2015, in the small sample size of 2016, it's hard to really say he's doing worse now.
First pitch is at 8:05 p.m. ET with broadcasts on ESPN and WEEI.