Darwinzon Hernandez called up as 26th man for doubleheader

Well, this is a nice surprise. The Red Sox and Tigers are playing a doubleheader on Tuesday, and with that they are allowed to call up a 26th man to the active roster for the day. Generally speaking this 26th man is almost always a pitcher as teams want an extra fresh arm so as to not destroy the bullpen between the two games. That is still going to be the case for Boston despite carrying 13 pitches already. I had predicted Chandler Shepherd would be the call as a guy in Triple-A, already on the 40-man and who can give some length. They are calling up a guy who can give length and is already on the 40-man, but the actual call-up is a lot more exciting. The Red Sox will be calling upon Darwinzon Hernandez for Tuesday’s game. Alex Speier first mentioned the possibility on Monday night.

I wouldn’t expect this to be some sort of extended call-up for Hernandez, as I assume they still want him getting work as a starter and that’s not happening in the majors. Of course, I didn’t expect him to be up at all even for just a day, so what do I know? Whatever the case, Hernandez gives them a chance at two different things. For one, he’s stretched out and can give three or four innings in a blowout if needed. Additionally, if both of these games are close and they need a lefty late in a game, he can provide a tough look none of these Tigers hitters have seen. This is a bit of a tease, but one of the top prospects in the organization will be up, even if it’s just for a day.