Call it a soft skip.
Jake Bennett remains in the Red Sox’ rotation, but he won’t pitch until Sunday against the Giants, nine days after his previous outing.
This week, the Red Sox rejiggered their rotation to give the rookie lefthander extra, extra rest amid his recent regression. On Wednesday, which would have been his start day had the Sox kept everybody in order, Bennett instead threw what interim manager Chad Tracy called a “high-intensity” bullpen session — on the field at Fenway Park, with outfielder Eli White standing in the batter’s box (but not swinging) to somewhat simulate a game setting.
“Instead of just a leisurely side [session] in the bullpen, get him on the field, have a catcher and things like that, some high-intent load,” Tracy said before the Red Sox absorbed a 7-6 loss in 10 innings in the series finale vs. the Diamondbacks. “That was designed around just to keep the load up. But he’ll be back on his normal routine now and be ready to pitch the final game against the Giants.”
It’s part of the Sox’ overarching strategy to manage Bennett’s workload as he pitches more than ever.
If that is what team decision-makers want, it’s fine by Bennett.
“Save a little bit of bullets,” he said. “I’m at most innings I’ve thrown in my career. Everything’s been feeling really good. But it’s just a precautionary thing to make sure that I’m recovering well and I keep [pitching through the end of the season].”
Bennett is up to 120 innings, past the 117 he threw at Oklahoma in 2022, the year he got drafted.
In the seasons since, he totaled 63 innings in 2023, zero in 2024 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, and 95⅓ in 2025.
Over his past five starts, Bennett has a 5.67 ERA. In the nine before that, beginning with his most recent callup to the majors, it was 2.35.
Tracy said the Sox “very likely” would have built in this break even if Bennett had pitched well lately.
“It’s more just ‘let’s get some extra rest,’” he said. “All the numbers on [objective measures of his physical recovery] — force plate jumps, the arm strength, dynamometer test, and everything — all that’s been great. So it’s more just staying ahead of the game.”
The Red Sox face a similar predicament with Payton Tolle, who is up to 135 innings, up from 108 last year. Tracy said Tolle would “maybe not” need such an arrangement because he didn’t miss an entire year in the recent past.
Against Rafael Devers and the Giants, Sonny Gray will take the opener Friday, followed by Patrick Sandoval on Saturday.
Roman rests
After Roman Anthony’s eventful and successful first rehabilitation game with Double-A Portland on Tuesday, the Red Sox decided he would not play Wednesday.
Following the day off, he is scheduled to be back in Portland’s lineup Thursday (in left field) and Friday (at DH).
“I think he’s OK. He’s always going through these hitting progressions, there could be some residual soreness and things like that to be expected,” Tracy said. “But [Anthony] felt good during the game. With the swings, everything felt good. So today was always [a potential day off].”
For Anthony, nearing a return from a sprained right hand/wrist, a hybrid day meant working out with the possibility of playing the game. After he went 2 for 2 with a home run, a single, and two walks in his rehab debut, the Red Sox opted to sit him.
Tracy said the Red Sox are “not in the conversation yet about what the exact timetable is” for Anthony’s return from the injured list.
“It’s easy to get excited about yesterday, and it’s good to see — watching the swings, timing, everything,” he said. “But he hasn’t played in a while and DH’d for four or five innings. So there’s accumulating volume, not just of swings but being on his legs and things like that.”
Elsewhere on the rehab front, Trevor Story played for a second day in a row (third game overall) Wednesday with Triple-A Worcester. Isiah Kiner-Falefa played in his first game.
Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.