Article: Red Sox Injury Update: Multiple Starters On Road To Recovery, Wong & Yoshida News

[Nick John]

With the Red Sox almost a month into the season now, it would be a good idea to check in on the players currently injured and just how much longer they may be out for.

The Red Sox opened the season with a handful of injuries affecting their rotation, as three starters opened the year on the Injured List. Since then, there has been some change as right-hander Brayan Bello is set to be activated for the April 22nd game against the Seattle Mariners and make his debut.

Dealing with right shoulder inflammation, Bello opened the year on the IL, making four rehab starts as he built up his pitch workload each start. Making four starts between Worcester and Portland, Bello had a 7.07 ERA in 14 innings, though he did manage 21 strikeouts to only four walks in that span. After his third rehab appearance, where he went four innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits, Bello stated that he was 100%. He only threw 64 pitches in that start, and the organization wanted one more start before activating him. In his final rehab appearance, Bello went 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits, one being a home run. He also struck out seven and threw 71 pitches.

Lucas Giolito has also been working his way back from a left hamstring strain he suffered in his only spring training appearance. The right-hander spent all of 2024 hurt as he recovered from an internal brace procedure. He had spent spring training ramping up before straining his hamstring in the first inning of his spring debut. Since then, Giolito has made four rehab starts split between Worcester and Portland. In that span, he’s thrown 12 2/3 innings to a 4.97 ERA. He’s allowed seven runs on 15 hits and seven walks while striking out 13. His latest rehab appearance on Sunday saw him throw five innings and allow three runs on six hits. He also struck out four. In total, he needed 65 pitches. While not certain, he may require another rehab start to get his pitch count up before any consideration of activating him.

The third member of the rotation that opened the year on the IL was Kutter Crawford, who had been dealing with right patellar soreness all spring. As of this writing, Crawford had yet to face hitters, though he has thrown a few bullpens. The current plan for the right-hander is to head down ot Fort Myers on April 22nd to face hitters and hopefully progress to extended spring camp games. If all goes well after that, he’ll begin a rehab assignment, hoping to be back by June, at the earliest.

Joining the three starters on the IL is promising rookie Richard Fitts. Fitts had looked decent in three starts before the injury hit the IL after being removed from his start against the Chicago White Sox on April 12th. Placed on the IL with a mild right pectoral strain, Fitts resumed playing catch on Sunday, April 20th, and if he continues to progress accordingly, he should be back at some point in May.

Connor Wong is another key piece who was hurt near the beginning of April. He fractured his left pinkie after being hit in the hand on a swing against the Toronto Blue Jays. Wong finished the inning defensively but was removed from the game afterward. At the moment, he is continuing to improve, and if his hand stays on its current healing trajectory, he should be back at some point in early to mid-May.

Masataka Yoshida continues to work his way back from offseason shoulder surgery as the outfielder has improved his throwing progression. Despite having a hot spring training at the plate, Yoshida opened the year on the IL due to his inability to throw from the outfield after recovering from surgery. Yoshida has yet to start a rehab assignment, as manager Alex Cora has said that Yoshida won’t begin one until he has more good days than bad days when it comes to throwing. There is no timetable for his return at the moment.

Finally, the Red Sox have two players on the 60-Day IL recovering from surgery. Left-hander Patrick Sandoval is recovering from a left UCL injury, where he won’t be able to pitch until midseason at the earliest. As of March 21st, he was throwing out to 105 feet but has not done much else. Chris Murphy is the second pitcher on the 60-Day IL as he recovers from Tommy John surgery on April 10th, 2024. The left-hander isn’t expected to return until after the All-Star break and began throwing off a mound in late March.

So far in the first 24 games of the season, the Red Sox are 13-11, and they look to stay competitive until they are fully healthy.

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