Manager Alex Cora announced Monday that Hill will begin the season in Boston's rotation as the fifth starter in a piggyback arrangement with Garrett Whitlock, Sean McAdam of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.
In pairing Hill and Whitlock together, the Red Sox will simultaneously ease the workload on a veteran starter who hasn't proven durable over his career while managing the innings for one of the top young arms in the organization. The 42-year-old Hill is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he posted a 3.86 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 158.2 innings, the second-highest total of his career. Assuming Boston sticks with the tandem starter arrangement for a large portion of 2022, Hill will likely see his innings count take a significant hint. Additionally, pitching in front of Whitlock could hurt Hill's chances of factoring into a decision during his starts.