Outside of seeding, the Boston Red Sox didn’t have much to play for in their regular series finale against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. With one day off between the regular season and the start of the playoffs, Boston was more concerned with lining up their pitching staff and protecting their players.

Lucas Giolito was lined up to pitch, but with next to no stakes, the Red Sox decided to allow him to rest. His velocity and command have both declined recently, potentially due to the rigors of a full season.

In Giolito’s stead, the Red Sox called up Jose De Leon from Triple-A Worcester. The 33-year-old pitcher has been the definition of a journeyman for his career. He debuted in 2016 and had amassed 65 1/3 innings for four teams entering Sunday’s game.

On Sunday, De Leon stepped up in a

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