The Boston Red Sox are considering bringing on a Chicago Cubs reliever who hasn’t pitched in the Majors since 2021.
The Boston Red Sox are showing interested in a former Chicago Cubs pitcher that has been dogged by injuries the past few seasons.
Per Mass Live, the Red Sox are showing interest in a pair of relievers — Jakob Junis and former Cubs pitcher Codi Heuer.
When the Cubs non-tendered Heuer in November, it came after the right-hander missed basically the last two seasons with injuries.
That started with his Tommy John surgery in early 2022, which put him on the shelf for the entire 2022 season.
Last season the Cubs brought him back in May and sent him to Triple-A Iowa to start a rehab assignment. He pitched 15 games for Iowa and went 0-1 with a 7.82 ERA.
But an elbow fracture ended his season in the summer. He had surgery shortly after the diagnosis and spent the rest of the season on Iowa’s injured list.
How Heuer’s injury happened got attention, as he fractured the elbow while pitching in a game. He delivered the ball well over the head of the hitter and jumped off the mound grasping his arm in pain.
Before the injuries, Heuer spent 2020 and 2021 in the Majors with the Chicago White Sox and the Cubs. In 86 games he went 10-4 with a 3.56 ERA with two saves. He struck out eight hitters per nine innings but walked more than three hitters at the same rate.
The former White Sox sixth-round pick ended up with the Cubs as part of a 2021 trade that sent closer Craig Kimbrel to the White Sox for Heuer and Nick Madrigal.