Red Sox move struggling Nick Pivetta to bullpen role

The Boston Red Sox have moved struggling pitcher Nick Pivetta to the bullpen, where he will work as a multi-inning reliever.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora announced the decision after Wednesday’s victory over the Seattle Mariners, saying that the move was partly prompted by Boston’s recent influx of healthy starting pitchers.

“It’s where we’re at,” Cora told reporters. “We’re getting healthy. We have a lot of starters.”

The Red Sox have benefited from solid starting pitching by Brayan Bello, who had seven strikeouts over five innings Wednesday to win his third straight outing, and James Paxton, who had nine strikeouts in five innings last Friday in his first major league appearance in two years.

Bello and Paxton have fortified a rotation that already includes Chris Sale, Corey Kluber and Tanner Houck, leaving Pivetta as the odd man out.

“I’m going to focus on helping the team achieve our goals,” Pivetta told reporters, according to MLB.com. “I’m gonna go out there and do my job and throw up zeros and help this team win. I just don’t think I make this about me. I’ve just got to go out and focus.”

Pivetta, who is 3-3 with a 6.30 ERA in eight starts this season, has pitched exclusively as a starter since joining the Red Sox in 2020. The right-hander made 17 relief appearances with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019, and Cora said the Red Sox hope he will “dominate” in his new role.

“I’ve got to pitch better and I’ve got to go and start and do that right there,” Pivetta said. “The better I do out of the bullpen, the more I can help the team win and move us towards our overall goal of winning the World Series. I think that’s what’s most important.”