The Red Sox will get their first look at Andrew Miller with the Major League club Monday, as the project righty enters Boston's rotation against the San Diego Padres.
With lefty Wade LeBlanc on the mound for the Padres, Miller will be backed by a Red Sox lineup featuring the right-handed bench outfielders in Mike Cameron and Darnell McDonald joining the usual bunch, with Jason Varitek providing a steady veteran presence behind the plate.
Boston Red Sox (43-28)
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
- Kevin Youkilis, 3B
- David Ortiz, DH
- Darnell McDonald, LF
- Marco Scutaro, SS
- Jason Varitek, C
- Mike Cameron, RF
- Chris Denorfia, RF
- Jason Bartlett, SS
- Chase Headley, 3B
- Ryan Ludwick, LF
- Christian Guzman, DH
- Orlando Hudson, 2B
- Cameron Maybin, CF
- Anthony Rizzo, 1B
- Rob Johnson, C
With control having always been his biggest problem, the Red Sox went about fixing his delivery in Triple-A Pawtucket. While early returns showed no real change--Miller gave up 32 walks in his first 40 innings--his last four starts have resulted in just three walks in 25 frames. He's allowed five runs in the period, striking out an impressive 26 batters in the process. With his opt-out date coming last week, the Red Sox decided to give him the opportunity to prove himself in the major leagues.
Wade LeBlanc hasn't exactly been a regular fixture in the Majors this year either. Spending most of the season in Triple-A Tucson, LeBlanc received the call thanks to a number of injuries in San Diego's rotation. LeBlanc is a lefty, which is usually bad news for Boston, but lacks major splits, and has been far from lights out in Triple-A. LeBlanc made his first start since being recalled on June 14, giving up three runs without escaping the fifth.