Red Sox Could Call Up Rafael Devers Trade Piece For Yankees Matchup, Insider Says

With the Red Sox only two games clear of the cutoff to make the playoffs right now, every win counts. So while calling Harrison up might be good for his development, Boston also has to make sure it is putting him in a position to succeed.

Might that mean he's called up to appear in a classic rivalry showdown with the New York Yankees?

On Friday, Sean McAdam of MassLive hinted that Harrison could make sense as a matchup fit for the lefty-heavy Yankees, who will host the Red Sox for a pressure-packed four-game set beginning Thursday.

"Kyle Harrison, the centerpiece of the Rafael Devers trade in June, has been effective in his last few tries at Triple A, with the most recent coming Tuesday when he tossed five scoreless innings, extending his shutout streak to 10 innings," wrote McAdam.

"Harrison would also give the Red Sox another lefty in the rotation - currently, Garrett Crochet is the only southpaw — which could provide an interesting matchup with, say, the lefty-leaning New York Yankees next week."

Harrison last pitched on Wednesday in Iowa, which would mean his next start is likely to come on Tuesday. In theory, they could run him back in the Sunday finale against the Yankees on Aug. 24.

Of course, to put Harrison in the rotation, the Red Sox would either have to sustain an injury or take someone else out, likely Walker Buehler, who carries a 5.43 ERA in 21 starts.

In parts of three seasons with the Giants, the 23-year-old Harrison totaled a 4.48 ERA in 39 appearances at the big-league level. He struck out 178 batters and allowed 175 hits in 182 2/3 innings.

Harrison's fastball is a plus pitch already at the major league level, but the Red Sox have been working on adding a cutter and toying with his change-up grip to give him an effective four-pitch arsenal. Will they feel as though that new mix is ready in time for a crucial matchup with playoff implications?