Most people look forward to Friday and the start of the weekend. For Boston Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright, this past Friday was a day to forget.
Seemingly anything that could have gone wrong for Steven Wright did so on Friday. First, it was announced that the 35 year old knuckleballer had been released by the Boston Red Sox, saving the team an anticipated $1.5 million in salary for 2020. Considering that the Red Sox have been looking to cut salary ahead of next year, and Wright’s inability to stay on the diamond in 2019, that move was not entirely unexpected.
Friday’s pain did not stop there. Not only was Wright released, but he also announced that he will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday, ending his 2020 campaign before it even had a chance to begin.
Recently-released Steven Wright reveals he will be undergoing Tommy John surgery https://t.co/XQ276VsOfn
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) October 19, 2019
The 2019 season was an all around disaster for Wright. He was handed an 80 game suspension during the season for failing a PED test, and spent time on the disabled list after being hit in the foot with a line drive. Wright was almost entirely ineffective when he was able to get to the mound, allowing six runs on 11 hits and four walks in his 6.1 innings last season.
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It has been a remarkable fall from grace for Wright. In 2016, he made the All Star Game, posting a 13-6 record with a 3.33 ERA and a 1.245 WHiP, striking out 127 batters with just 57 walks in his 156.2 innings. It appeared as though the Red Sox had found another Tim Wakefield, a knuckleballer that could be a long term piece to the rotation.
However, Wright has been unable to stay on the mound since. After missing all of September that season, he has dealt with a myriad of injuries and suspensions, including a violation of the domestic violence policy in 2018. The Red Sox just could not rely upon Wright to take the ball every fifth day.
Now, Wright faces another setback, one that will keep him off the mound next season. He will be 36 years old when the 2021 campaign begins, an age that is certainly not ancient for a kunckleballer. He could, theoretically, help a team in desperate need of pitching down the line, but would a team be willing to take a chance on someone that has not proven to be a reliable option?
Friday was not a banner day for Steven Wright. First, he was released by the Boston Red Sox, then he announced that he needed Tommy John surgery. Some days just are not worth getting out of bed.