Brandon Workman will still have to wait his turn.
According to a source, Workman won't be the one replacing Franchy Cordero on the Red Sox' 26-man roster. It will likely be a pitcher who is already on the 40-man roster, an existence the former Sox closer doesn't currently enjoy. (Colten Brewer or Brandon Brennan are the likely candidates.)
But that doesn't mean the Red Sox won't be feeling the impact of Workman at some point this season.
The reliever has been opening eyes in recent appearances with Triple-A Worcester, having only allowed a run in the first of what has been six appearances. His latest outing, Wednesday, saw Workman strike out two of the three batters he has faced.
It might seem like a modest return, but considering the depths Workman had fallen into since leaving Boston for Philadelphia and then the Cubs, the difference is notable.
In his eight innings with the Cubs, Workman allowed nine runs on 12 hits, walking seven. That was coming off a horrific stint with the Phillies in 2020 the saw him give up 11 runs and 23 hits in just 13 innings.
And while the Red Sox aren't ready to throw their former game-ender back in high-leverage big-league situations, they are encouraged by the path Workman has taken since rejoining the organization.
For starters, his fastball has crept back up to 90-92 mph, which is of the utmost importance considering it helps separate from Workman's go-to pitch, the curveball. You remember that curve, the one he threw 47 percent of the time in 2019, with hitters managing just a .128 batting average against it.
But the true priority from the Red Sox' point of view is Workman re-establishing his cutter.
In that 2019 season, Workman threw the pitch almost 20 percent, with hitters managing just an .077 batting average against it. But after a 2020 where he saw it get hit around (.323) while relying on it more (34 percent), the reliever shied away from it with the Cubs.
Before being designated for assignment, Workman threw just 12 cutters in 2021.
That has changed. And so have the results.
"Work has been throwing the ball well," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora prior to his team's Wednesday win. "I think his breaking ball is playing a lot better. As far as usage, we want him to throw the cutter a little bit more and we are getting there."