Throughout the offseason, there were four names surfaced by Dave Dombrowski and Alex Cora as the chief Red Sox relief-pitching candidates to be counted on for locking up the final few outs: Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Tyler Thornburg and Steven Wright.
Barnes has come as expected, with Brasier experiencing a few ups and downs. Thornburg is on the injured list after struggling for the majority of the first few months. And then there is Wright.
The knuckleballer was taken out of the equation in spring training when he was suspended 80 games for violating Major League Baseball's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. And even at the time of the suspension, Wright still wasn't at full strength while coming back from a left knee injury.
For most Red Sox followers, Wright has been out of sight, out of mind.
But now the 34-year-old is about to re-enter the equation.
Wright is eligible to start his minor-league rehab assignment in one week (June 10), 15 days before the Red Sox can officially activate him to the 25-man roster.
The righty has been working out in Fort Myers, Fla., having thrown a pair of two-inning simulated games last Tuesday and Saturday. He is slated to go three innings Wednesday. Wright's knee has also held up well so far to date.
The idea of Wright is an intriguing one considering what he might be able to add to the Red Sox' bullpen. There is a reason he was being tabbed by the organization as a late-inning option, having totaled a 1.52 ERA in 16 relief outings in 2018, with opposing hitters managing just a .190 batting average.
It should be noted that Wright would not be eligible for a spot on the postseason roster due to the suspension. But in the meantime, he certainly represents one of the Sox' more intriguing potential additions to this bullpen.
