The injury bug continues with this year’s Boston Red Sox team, with a Danny Coulombe injury (cervical spasms) the latest to result in a 15-day injured list stint. The left-handed reliever signed with Boston in March, and so far has put up a disappointing 5.63 ERA this season. However, he has had back-to-back scoreless appearances (limited sample size with a combined 1 ⅔ innings, but still). There have been a number of Red Sox rookie pitchers who have come up from the minors and made contributions. However, this call-up is the most interesting so far this season.
Who is Alec Gamboa?
Alec Gamboa got called up to Boston to replace Coulombe amid the injury, and there’s one key thing about him that sticks out. The 29-year-old has yet to make his MLB debut. Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019, the left-hander worked his way up the system until he reached Triple-A in 2024. After underwhelming seasons in both ‘24 and ‘25, he got released to go pitch in the Korean League.
The #RedSox today announced the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/ST75SLy4Bv
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 4, 2026
With the Lotto Giants, he became a massive success there. In the month of June, he went 5-0 and had an ERA of 1.72, both of which led the KBO during that timespan. Now, it’s not MLB, but sometimes, the international leagues are what a player needs to get back on track (just look at Trevor Bauer and his comeback recently).
How Did Gamboa Get to Boston?
On December 9th, 2025, Gamboa signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox, getting assigned to Worcester. The promotion is certainly an interesting one, as he went 1-1 with an ERA of 6.23, allowing more hits than strikeouts. But if he wasn’t brought up soon, he was going to be gone. Just like Matt Thaiss, who signed with the Red Sox on a minor league deal, Gamboa has a mobility clause, allowing him to become a free agent and sign elsewhere if he’s not on the 40-man roster at a certain date. Boston’s instinct was to call him up before that would happen.
Is This a Good Move After Danny Coulombe Injury?
In terms of who they’ve used this season and could’ve brought up, Gamboa’s certainly an option but in a normal situation, he might need more time. However, given the mobility clause, this is far from a normal situation, so it’s worth a shot to see what he has. His key pitching rates are as follows:
- K%: 25.4%
- BB% 8.5%
- GB% (Ground Ball): 57.9%
These are stellar numbers, and the walk and ground ball percentages are certainly worthy of a call-up. But his BABIP is part of the concern. His .405 BABIP is far above the MLB average, which sits between .290 and .295. Hitters getting after him isn’t the only concern, though. He’s also got control issues.
Some notes on new Red Sox arm Alec Gamboa after talking with staff in Worcester:
– Has done a really good job at attacking the zone over his last few outings. Has provided some deceptive qualities with above average ride on his 4-seam.
– Developed a kick change this offseason…
— Andrew Parker (@ByAndrewParker) May 4, 2026
It hasn’t been prevalent this year, but last year he had five wild pitches in 19 appearances. He also walked 49 batters. He’s got a four-pitch mix, using a four-seamer, slider, sinker, and curve. So with the stuff he has, it’s all dependent on whether he can control his pitches.
The Last Word
The call up and career path of Gamboa is certainly rare among most major leaguers. Ryan Brasier comes to mind when thinking of guys close to or at 30 making their debuts. The Red Sox’s call-up timelines are unpredictable, sending down Nate Eaton a day after his recent call-up, for example. But depending on how long the Danny Coulombe injury keeps him out, Gamboa may have an opportunity to make an impact here.
Main Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
