The Red Sox have had issues with injuries in the rotation this season and that theme continued Sunday. The club announced that right-hander Nathan Eovaldi was placed on the injured list due to lower back inflammation. The move is retroactive to June 9. As a corresponding move, right-hander Kutter Crawford was recalled from Triple-A.
Eovaldi, 32, was an All-Star and finished fourth in AL Cy Young voting last season. This time around, in 12 starts he’s 4-2 with a 3.16 ERA (133 ERA+), 1.10 WHIP and 72 strikeouts against 10 walks in 68 1/3 innings. Home runs have been an issue, as he’s allowed an AL-leading 16 — he only gave up 15 all year in 2021 — but otherwise he’s been very good.
Eovaldi joins Garrett Whitlock (hip inflammation), Chris Sale (rehabbing from a rib fracture) and James Paxton (rehabbing from 2021 Tommy John surgery) on the injured list among Red Sox starters.
For now, Crawford joins Michael Wacha, Nick Pivetta and Rich Hill in the rotation. Yes, it’s thin at the moment.
The Red Sox started the year poorly, but since their 10-19 start, they’ve been one of the best teams in baseball, having won 21 of their past 31 games entering Sunday’s action. That was only good enough to be in fourth place and 12 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the AL East, but the Red Sox were also holding down the third and final AL wild card spot.
As we inch closer to July and with the Red Sox in contention, the rotation is certainly something to watch — both the health of the players they already have and any potential additions via trade.
