Joe Kelly’s start Monday against the Blue Jays marked four full turns through the rotation for the Red Sox. So far, the results have been what many expected — and dreaded.

After Wade Miley’s implosion Sunday and Joe Kelly’s struggle on Monday, the rotation’s collective ERA stands at a league-worst 5.84. Miley (8.62) has been the worst offender, with Rick Porcello (6.48) and Justin Masterson (5.16) slotting behind him. Kelly (4.94) and Buchholz (4.84) are the lone starters averaging fewer than five earned runs per nine, which should give Sox fans little solace.

The bullpen has been slightly better than the rotation, its 3.75 ERA placing it 19th in baseball. But with the rotation’s struggles the bullpen has been taxed heavily, its 74 1/3 IP through 20 games trailing only Texas.


The team’s bats have kept it afloat despite the pitching woes, but if the team expects to make the postseason — let alone the World Series — something has to give.

Its wisdom aside, Rick Porcello’s hefty contract likely gives him a long leash, but at this point John Farrell has to be weighing his options with Masterson and Miley.

Barring a trade, Boston’s salvation will have to come from within. Fortunately, the Red Sox have three pitchers stashed in Triple-A Pawtucket who could play big roles this season.

Left-hander Henry Owens headlines the list of Red Sox pitching prospects. The 36th overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft, Owens has been pegged as a possible middle-of-the-order arm with upside for more. He boasts an above-average fastball, an improving curveball and a plus changeup, and has leveraged them to steadily move through the system.

Owens posted a 2.60 ERA in 121 innings at Double-A last season before finishing in Pawtucket, where he had a 4.03 ERA in six starts. Things have seemingly picked up where they left off in 2015, with Owens boasting a 3.94 ERA through three starts. But his rate stats haven’t been up to snuff: Owens has struck out just over seven batters per nine innings so far, down three from his 10.42 mark in Triple-A last season, and has issued walks at a 7.88-per-nine clip. He has the pedigree and varied repertoire for consistent success at the major league level, but Owens will need more seasoning before he cracks the big club.


The Red Sox moved proven success and an expiring contract for upside when they acquired Eduardo Rodriguez from the Orioles for reliever Andrew Miller in a deadline deal last season, and they have to like what they’ve seen so far. Signed as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2010, Rodriguez has a plus-fastball with mid-90s velocity and a solid changeup and slider as his secondary offerings.

The 22-year-old made his Red Sox organization debut in Double-A Portland last year, posting an excellent 0.96 ERA, 9.40 K/9 and 1.93 BB/9 over six starts. That pinpoint control has carried over in his move to Triple-A this season, as Rodriguez has walked just one batter in 18.2 innings, a big part of why his ERA sits at a minuscule 1.93. He’s averaging under eight strikeouts per nine despite his plus heat, though, and will likely have to improve his strikeout rate before he starts pushing for big-league playing time.

Rounding out the list of young arms is the least-heralded, but possibly most major-league ready of Boston’s pitching prospects. Brian Johnson was taken with the second-to-last pick of the first round in the 2012 draft. Already boasting a four-pitch mix after three years of college ball, Johnson was a near-finished product on draft day, and his minor league results have borne that out.

His pitches graded as average to above-average, capping his ceiling as a back-of-the-order guy, but Johnson has been making scouts and batters alike look silly since he entered the system. He’s allowed two or fewer runs in 24 of his last 25 starts split between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A, boasting a sterling 1.46 ERA in that span. He had his best game of the year on April 21, allowing two hits and walking one over a complete game shutout. He followed up on Monday with a five-inning, one-run effort, though he did give up five walks to go along with his six strikeouts. If these results continue into May, manager John Farrell and GM Ben Cherington will have a decision on their hands.


Given their youth and 93 2/3 combined innings of Triple-A experience, Johnson, Rodriguez and Owens are likely still months away from their major-league debuts. Fortunately, the Red Sox have an experienced arm in 30-year-old knuckleballer Steven Wright.

Wright was promoted to the major-league roster on April 27 as a long reliever, though he’s coming off a pair of starts in Pawtucket so far this season.

Wright, a 2006 second-round pick, toiled in the Indians’ minor league system until he was brought to Boston in exchange for first baseman Lars Anderson.

The knuckleball is as hard for a pitcher to locate as it is for a hitter to make contact, meaning Wright’s success wil be tied to his control. He struggled with his command in four appearances with the Red Sox in 2013, but seemed to right the ship last season, posting a sub-2 walk rate in 21 major league innings in 2014 and similar rates in the minors.

Wright made the Red Sox opening day roster as a reliever, but struggled in his lone appearance, allowing two earned runs on six hits and three walks over five innings in the April 10 marathon win over New York. He was optioned to Pawtucket the following day.

He continued to struggle with his command in two starts in Pawtucket, walking seven batters in 11 innings. He’s struck out 12 batters, but having given up 17 hits so far, he doesn’t represent a strong add to the big club yet.

The Red Sox sit at 11-9 on the year, but have lost six of their last 10, largely due to continued pitching struggles. If things don’t get better — whether by addition, promotion or a leap in performance — Boston could soon find itself buried in a crowded division race.

The scouts don’t peg Wright or any of the three Pawtucket arms as the “ace’’ who was the subject of somuchoffseasonchatter, but they’ve been wrong before. Even if none exceeds expectations, any of the arms has the potential to be more than adequare at the four or five spot in the rotation, which would be a big boost for a club whose expensive bats have set playoff aspirations sky-high.