Red Sox shift Walker Buehler to bullpen, creating rotation vacancy

The Boston Red Sox moved veteran right-hander Walker Buehler out of their starting rotation and into a bullpen role Friday, manager Alex Cora said, creating an immediate vacancy with fewer than 35 regular season games remaining and sharpening questions about how Boston will protect a fragile rotation during the playoff push. The decision comes after another uneven start from Buehler in Baltimore on Tuesday and follows a week of internal conversations about the right-hander's role.

Cora told reporters that Buehler will be shifted to relief and that the club will determine whether he is used for one inning or multiple innings when he is available. Because Buehler pitched on Tuesday, Cora said, he was unavailable to pitch out of the bullpen that day. Cora called Buehler professional and said he still believes in him. Buehler himself said the move "gives me an opportunity to reset" and that he would try to embrace the new role.

Buehler has struggled through much of the season. He has a 5.40 ERA, a 1.56 WHIP and a 7-7 record through 110 innings, and his command has been a recurring problem. He is averaging roughly 4.4 walks per nine innings and has allowed 21 home runs. In his last...