The Red Sox selected lefthander Austin Lambright from the Royals’ High A Quad Cities roster and righthander Brian Keller from the Yankees’ Double A Somerset roster in the Triple A phase of the 2021 Rule 5 Draft Wednesday.
Lambright, 27, was a 10th-round draft choice in 2018 by the Royals out of Central Oklahoma. In 2019, he had a 2.85 ERA in 47⅓ innings between Single A and High A. His development stalled shortly thereafter, however.
The 2020 minor league season was canceled because of COVID-19, and Lamrbright missed all of 2021 with an injury. He can rack up strikeouts — registering 105 in 69⅔ career innings — but is also prone to the walk, with 6.7 per nine innings for his career.
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Keller, who is also 27, was a 39th-round pick out of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2016.
Last year, the Red Sox selected Garrett Whitlock from the Yankees in the Rule 5 Draft
— Farm To Fame (@FarmToFame_) December 8, 2021
This year, Boston selects NYY Brian Keller who pitched to a 2.27 ERA with 65 K in 55.1 Triple-A innings this season…
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He compiled a 2.77 ERA in 55⅓ innings to go along with 65 strikeouts in 2021. He has walked close to three batters per nine innings for his career. Command proved to be a problem last year with Keller, as he yielded 7.5 walks per nine innings.
Because of the ongoing lockout at the major league level, there hasn’t been a major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft this year.
Julian McWilliams can be reached at julian.mcwilliams@globe.com. Follow him @byJulianMack.