April 21, 2013 at 3:19 PM
Allen Webster will make major league debut tonight
The Red Sox announced after Saturday night's game that right-hander Allen Webster would make his major league debut Sunday night in the second half of the team's day-night doubleheader with the Royals at Fenway Park. Webster had been scratched from his Saturday start in Pawtucket in anticipation of the move.
Webster, acquired from the Dodgers last August, has had a successful start to the season in Pawtucket. He has made two official starts, allowing just one run (on a solo home run) over 10 innings, giving up seven hits and three walks while striking out 12. He had another start on April 10 cut short when it was suspended due to rain after two innings; he had allowed three hits and no walks while striking out four batters.
Webster's strong start earned him a bump up one spot in SoxProspects.com's prospect rankings, to third behind Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley, Jr. Both Matt Huegel and Ian Cundall were at his last start, on Monday, and their write-ups can be found here and here. The main adjustment Webster had to make after his strong 2012 campaign was working on the command of his impressive arsenal, and it appears that a couple of mechanical tweaks made during spring training -- moving him to the first base side of the rubber and adjusting where his head sat as he threw -- have done the trick.
Because of Major League Baseball's new rule allowing teams to place a 26th man on the active roster for a doubleheader, no countermove will be necessary. Webster will likely return to Pawtucket immediately following the spot start.
Photo credit: Allen Webster by Kelly O'Connor.