The Boston Red Sox are expected to call up relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle before potentially losing him for free. Boston previously signed the veteran to a minor league deal before the 2026 season started. The 36-year-old Kahnle made his Major League Baseball debut way back in 2014 with the Colorado Rockies. He subsequently featured for several other teams over the years, including the New York Yankees.
Although Kahnle did not earn a full MLB contract this season, he has been dominant with AAA Worcester. After completing yet another scoreless inning on May 28, the righty lowered his ERA to 1.47 on the campaign. He has now not allowed an earned run since April 17. Kahnle also has 20 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings with the minor league club.
The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey is reporting that now would be a great time for the Red Sox to finally call up the veteran reliever. For starters, one of Boston’s most reliable righties out of the bullpen, Garrett Whitlock, recently landed on the injured list. As a result, the big league club now has a significant hole to fill.
Fellow reliever Tyler Samaniego was called up to replace the ailing Whitlock. The right-handed pitcher will serve as Boston’s opening pitcher against the Cleveland Guardians on May 29, though. Typical starter Brayan Bello will then enter the game afterwards. The move seemingly helps Bello, as he has posted far better statistics in this role than as a traditional starter. Nevertheless, it also thins out an already struggling Red Sox bullpen.
Tommy Kahnle Could Provide Veteran Presence for the Boston Red Sox
GettyTommy Kahnle previously found success with the New York Yankees.
The Boston Red Sox potentially promoting Kahnle would certainly make sense. Sports Illustrated’s Patrick McAvoy recently called out the club for wasting the veteran pitcher in AAA. The reporter essentially wanted Kahnle to be called up in place of rookie reliever Ryan Watson. So far this season, the fellow righty has a 5.35 ERA in 21 total appearances.
Not only could Kahnle be useful in Boston’s bullpen, but he could soon choose to leave the organization altogether. According to McCaffrey’s report, the veteran has an opt-out clause in his current contract on June 1. This means that if he is not on the MLB roster by this time, he can look to sign elsewhere. With this particular date right around the corner, the Red Sox will have to make a decision soon.
Kahnle last pitched in the big leagues during the 2025 campaign with the Detroit Tigers. While he somewhat struggled in the Motor City, the reliever did find success with the Yankees in 2023 and 2024. The veteran recorded a 2.37 ERA in a combined 83 1/3 innings between these two seasons.
Boston has to Turn Things Around Quickly
Overall, the Boston Red Sox bullpen has been fairly solid during the 2026 season. In fact, their combined 3.33 ERA currently ranks ninth-best in all of baseball. However, much of the club’s success in relief has come from Whitlock, Samaniego, and star closer Aroldis Chapman. Boston has four relievers with at least 10 appearances who have an ERA over 4.00.
After losing six of their last 10 games, the Red Sox find themselves at the bottom of the American League East. As a result, moves, both big and small, need to be made to help give Boston a boost moving forward.
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