The month of May was grueling for the Red Sox pitching staff, especially the bullpen. The team played 28 games in May, and in half of them, their starting pitchers failed to even make it through five innings. Now, that’s a glaring red flag in today’s time, where bullpen arms are often the key to surviving a 162-game grind. Is Alex Cora Overusing the Red Sox Bullpen?

Entering mid-June, the Red Sox bullpen has already faced 1,115 batters, sixth-most in the league. That sums up the story of relentless usage and high-stress innings. And now, with one of their high-leverage relievers landing on the injured list, it begs the inevitable question: Is this bullpen burnout a product of over-usage by Alex Cora?

Well, the player in question here is Justin Slaten. He was on the brink of returning from the IL, but then things took an unexpected turn. The 27-year-old revealed on Saturday that he was being treated for a nebulous neck issue that was radiating soreness into his right shoulder!

The discovery of this potential nerve-related problem means the timeline of his return is uncertain again. “I could wake up tomorrow or wake up the next day, and things have completely cleared up, and we start the progression of throwing,” Slaten was quoted as saying by The Boston Globe.

“Unfortunately, there is not a timetable right now. We’re not trying to keep anybody in the dark. I just don’t know and they don’t know. It truly is as day-to-day as day-to-day can be,” he further added.

While Slaten’s return might be delayed by a couple of more weeks, what caused his injury in the first place?

For the unversed, the right-hander has a 3.47 ERA this season. But his workload might have taken a toll on him. Slaten appeared in 12 of the team’s 28 games in May and pitched multiple innings in seven of those outings.

With the Red Sox’s starters struggling to pitch deep into games, Cora had little choice but to turn to his bullpen early and often, and Slaten became a frequent fireman. But this sort of workload, particularly for a reliever, raises questions about overuse.

Slaten himself, however, isn’t of the view that the heavy workload caused the injury. “We were all throwing a lot, and it happened to flare up in that moment,” he said. “It was unfortunate timing.“

The Red Sox are currently ranked 4th in the AL East with a 36-36 record. And that’s majorly because their pitching hasn’t lived up to the expectations.

The Red Sox’s underwhelming pitching performance

Boston currently owns a team ERA of 4.03, which ranks 19th in the majors, a clear sign that the pitching staff has been below par. What’s more is that they’ve already surrendered 71 home runs. Another indicator of just how often opposing hitters have been squaring them up.

Yes, someone like Hunter Dobbins has been a bright spot, going moderately with an ERA of 3.74 in 11 games. But the rest of them? Well, they are struggling.

The Red Sox starters have repeatedly failed to go deep, forcing Cora’s bullpen into overdrive. That over-reliance has not only taxed the relief corps but may also be contributing to injuries like Slaten’s. Moreover, while the ERA might not seem catastrophic on paper, the inconsistent outings paint the picture of a pitching unit under siege.

Remember Garrett Crochet’s performance in the second game of the previous series against the Yankees? He gave out 5 runs in 6 innings while striking out nine and not everyone was happy with that. So, unless the Red Sox find a way to get more from their starters, the burden on the bullpen will only grow. And you know what follow next. The injuries!