Left-hander Mike Holtz, who hasn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2002, was brought up by the Boston Red Sox before Tuesday night’s game against the New York Yankees.

The 33-year-old Holtz was 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA and three saves in 11 relief appearances for Pawtucket, striking out 24 in 16 innings.

He pitched for Pittsburgh’s Nashville farm team in 2003 and Tampa Bay’s Durham farm team the following year, when his season ended early because of surgery to remove elbow bone spurs.

Holtz was 0-1 with a 4.38 ERA in 44 games last year with Yokohama of Japan’s Central League.

“A guy like me, I’m small, 5-8. I’m not a fastball pitcher,” he said. “I throw offspeed on fastball counts. I’m a guy who throws from all different angels.”

Holtz takes the roster spot of right-hander Manny Delcarmen, who was optioned to Pawtucket on Sunday.

“For his benefit, he needs to pitch,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “A lefty is a pretty good option. It makes it a little easier to get (Keith) Foulke into a game without getting him up three or four times.”

Delcarmen had a 9.82 ERA in four games with Boston after pitching 10 scoreless innings for Pawtucket.

AP-ES-05-09-06 2023EDT


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