Brennan Bernardino returns to Red Sox bullpen after midseason rest, ready to contribute

Brennan Bernardino pitched in 16 of the Red Sox’s 28 games in May, and then appeared in 6 of the 8 games after the All-Star break.

It seems he needed to slow down after carrying a heavy workload between May and July. The Red Sox optioned him on July 28, and since then he has pitched in just four games over a three-week span with Triple-A Worcester.

“A lot of people make a big deal of Bernie and Weissert,” said manager Alex Cora before the series finale against the Baltimore Orioles. “But I think we were able to reset them right after the All-Star Game. I know the number of games was up there, and there was a point — I think it was Milwaukee, Atlanta, the Mets — you know, the usage was way up. That reflects two weeks later. It doesn’t reflect that week.”

When he was optioned in late July