Daniel Bard to Stay in Rotation, Red Sox Management Says

The Red Sox are looking at several options to turn their season around, but putting Daniel Bard back in the bullpen is not one of them.

General manager Ben Cherington put the most recent speculation to rest Saturday, saying Bard will remain a starter.

When manager Bobby Valentine was asked about Bard after the game Saturday, he said the Red Sox would essentially consider anything at this point.

But Cherington said Bard will be on the mound Sunday and remain in the rotation, even with speculation that his Sunday start could be washed out and free him up for relief help.

"He's shown everything that he's had to show in the first two starts to give us a lot of confidence that he's going to pitch well (Sunday) night. That's all there is to that right now," Cherington said.

The plan now is to work with the players where they are, Cherington said.

"The first thing to focus on is helping the guys on this pitching staff perform better," he said. "Any changes, whether it's role or additions, those are things we'll talk about in time."

Cherington made the comments after a closed-door meeting with Valentine and other members of Red Sox management, after which Cherington said he is "very satisfied" with Valentine's performance so far.