Bullpen Takes A Hit As Danny Coulombe Lands On Injured List

Expected to be a key contributor to the Boston Red Sox's bullpen, left-hander Danny Coulombe has mostly been solid, with one minor blowup. But now, he will be lost for the near future.

Coulombe was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday with cervical spasms. Left-hander Alex Gamboa was called up from Triple-A Worcester to make his MLB debut. Left-hander Patrick Sandoval was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room for Gamboa on the 40-man roster.

Coulombe is the eighth pitcher to currently be on the Red Sox's injured list. His overall numbers don't look great, but his 5.63 ERA in eight innings over 12 appearances is skewed by an April 23 outing vs. the New York Yankees. That is when he allowed three runs in two-thirds of an inning of a 4-2 loss.

The 29-year-old Gamboa has made three starts at Worcester this season, allowing nine runs on 17 hits and five walks against 15 strikeouts in 13 innings. He was signed as a minor-league free agent this offseason after being released by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He appeared in just eight games (two starts) at Triple-A last year.