Red Sox recall right-handed pitcher Naoyuki Uwasawa from Triple-a Worcester

BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today recalled right-handed pitcher Naoyuki Uwasawa from Triple-A Worcester. To make room on the active roster, the club designated left-handed pitcher Joely Rodriguez for assignment.

Uwasawa, 30, was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in a minor league trade on March 27. The right-hander has made three starts for Worcester, going 2-1 with a 4.80 ERA (8 ER/15.0 IP) and 17 strikeouts. He allowed one run in 5.0 innings with seven strikeouts and one walk in his last start, on April 21 against Durham. He previously pitched for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball, appearing in 173 games over nine seasons (2014-15, ’17-23). A three-time NPB All-Star (2018, ’21, ’23), the right-hander went 70-62 with a 3.19 ERA (397 ER/1,118.1 IP) and 14 complete games, having recorded an ERA below 3.50 in eight of his nine seasons. In 2023, Uwasawa led NPB in innings pitched while posting a 2.96 ERA (56 ER/170.0 IP) with 124 strikeouts, 41 walks, and 14 home runs allowed in 24 games, marking the sixth time in his career he recorded an ERA below 3.20.

Rodriguez, 32, allowed three runs in 1.0 inning against the Chicago Cubs on Friday. The left hander owns a 6.55 ERA (8 ER/11.0 IP) in 11 relief appearances this season. Originally signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in May 2009, the Dominican Republic native has recorded a 4.82 ERA (90 ER/168.0 IP) in 179 career Major League games with the Philadelphia Phillies (2016-17), Texas Rangers (2020-21), New York Yankees (2021), New York Mets (2022), and Red Sox (2023-24).