Congratulations:  Veteran pitcher Rich Hill finally returned back to Red Sox after…..

 

The Boston Red Sox are activating 44-year-old left-hander Rich Hill, multiple outlets reported Tuesday.

 

He signed a minor league deal on Aug. 15 and made one scoreless, two-inning appearance at Triple-A Worcester.

 

Hill has played for 13 franchises since making his MLB debut in 2005, including three previous stints with his hometown Red Sox.

Once activated, Hill will surpass 41-year-old Justin Verlander Justin Verlander as the oldest player in the majors.

Hill last played in the big leagues in 2023 with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres, going 8-14 with a 5.41 ERA in 32 games (27 starts).

He is 90-73 with a 4.01 ERA in 382 games (248 starts) with the Chicago Cubs (2005-08), Baltimore Orioles (2009), Red Sox (2010-12, 2015, 2022), Cleveland (2013), Los Angeles Angels (2014), New York Yankees (2014), Oakland Athletics (2016), Los Angeles Dodgers (2016-19), Minnesota Twins (2020), Ta1), New York Mets (2021), Pirates (2023) and Padres (2023).

The Red Sox optioned right-hander Josh Winckowski to Worcester on Tuesday morning. Winckowski, 26, is 4-1 with a 4.37 ERA in 30 games (six starts) this season for Boston