The Boston Red Sox had their home opener against the San Diego Padres this afternoon, winning 5-2. Prior to that, however, they made a couple of changes, specifically in the bullpen. The Red Sox announced a series of roster moves this morning, including that Johan Oviedo and Garrett Whitlock would be put on the inactive list, and that two (somewhat) familiar faces for fans will be taking over.
Red Sox Make Several Roster Moves Ahead of Home Opener
Inactives
Johan Oviedo
Oviedo was the main piece of the return in a trade involving Jhostynxon Garcia during the offseason. Going into the season, fans were a little cautious about the move, and rightfully so. Due to having Tommy John surgery in 2024, as well as a lat injury in 2025, he’s appeared in nine games in the past two years. This year, he backed up Ranger Suárez in the 8-1 defeat against the Houston Astros on Monday. After that, word broke this morning about a right elbow strain. The coaching staff noticed something off about his velocity and sent him to medical examiners, who would later give him the diagnosis. The timetable or the severity of the injury is not currently known at this point.
The #RedSox today announced the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/uuYNoXJMpT
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 3, 2026
Garrett Whitlock
Whitlock’s absence is less severe in the sense that it’s not an injury. He was put on the paternity leave list as he left the team on Wednesday to welcome his second child. In terms of a timetable, he could be back by the end of the weekend. From a pitching standpoint, Whitlock’s been one of the brighter spots on this team. He hasn’t allowed a run in three games and recorded a hold in the only win this season for Boston. Coming off a season where he was seen as a part of one of the best setup man-closer duos in the majors (with closer Aroldis Chapman), Boston fans can only hope he continues his success, granted that the team bounces back as well.
Roster Call-Ups
Zack Kelly
Fans may remember this name in the organization, although maybe not for the right reasons, such as horrible outings like this. But it wasn’t too long ago that Zack Kelly had a successful season. In 2024, Kelly went 6-3, holding batters to a career low .208 OBA. He also had a career high in strikeout rate, with 25.3%. The problem in ‘25 was some of his pitches. While his six-pitch mix included some pitches that fooled batters, such as his cutter and sweeper, others didn’t. His changeup was probably the most confusing based on analytics. His changeup had a 32% whiff rate, yet batters hit .308 off of it. Until Oviedo’s timetable is revealed, it’s unknown how big or small a role Kelly will have. But if he looks like his 2024 self, it’s a decent call-up.
Tyler Uberstine
This may be Tyler Uberstine’s major league debut, but those who watched spring training saw him a decent amount. He opened up the spring against Northeastern, then started four other games across February and March. He struggled, with an ERA of 6.14 and letting up more runs (eight) than innings pitched (7 1/3). This season, he started out with Triple-A Worcester, only pitching one game so far, but already improving with an ERA of 2.25.
Like Kelly, his role in the bullpen is unknown for now. And one of them will probably be sent back down when Whitlock comes back. But in a series where the Red Sox need to get back on track, other players need to step up and prove their worth. These guys have their chance this weekend.
Main Photo Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
