The Boston Red Sox placed starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi on the 10-day injured list with a mild calf strain, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne (via Twitter).
Though this injury is not expected to shelve Eovaldi for long, the hulking right-hander has been continually beset by injuries throughout his career. After missing all of the 2017 season, Eovaldi’s redemption story is well-known. The Red Sox got him via trade from the Rays midway through 2018, and he proved a vital addition en route to winning the 2018 World Series. Eovaldi’s gutsy extra-inning relief appearance in that World Series seems lifetimes away, however, as both he and the Red Sox have fallen on hard times. His output in 2019 was well within Boston’s expectations, but injuries limited the Houston native to just 12 starts.
He’s been healthy thus far this season, making his first six starts, going 2-2 with a 4.98 ERA, 8.7 K/9, and 1.6 BB/9. While he’s limited free passes at a career-best rate, he has been bit by the long ball 7 times in just 34 1/3 innings. Still, 1.83 HR/9 and 21.2 HR/FB% would actually be improvements on last year’s numbers. Eovaldi’s bugaboo continues to be health, though again, this particular IL stint is not expected to be overlong. When healthy, he’s the only active remaining member of Boston’s championship rotation from 2018: Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez are out for the season, David Price was traded to the Dodgers, and Rick Porcello left to join the Mets as a free agent.
In a related roster move, 30-year-old Chris Mazza has been recalled. Eovaldi was scheduled to pitch on Sunday against Washington, but Zack Godley will get the nod for his sixth start of the season instead. Mazza stepped right into the rotation to face the Nationals tonight, but he lasted just 3 1/3 innings while struggling with his command. Mazza has a 5.73 ERA across 22 innings for the Red Sox and Mets between this year and last.
Oh Lordy
Bad timing
Why?? We have plenty of scrubs that can fill in for him. Bloom signed about 10 of them since he got hired. Hasn’t hit on one of them but he has sure saved John Henry some money.
Phillips Valdez-reliever-ERA .under 1 in 20 innings–how many relievers have under a 1 run per 9 innings in MLB? Age 29. Facing the Yankees, Rays, Jays & O’s with many good young hitters.
Josh Osich
Austin Brice
Ryan Weber
Time will tell on Bloom. This is a 60 game season. It’s an inexpensive time to find a diamond in the rough–they’ve found one in Valdez. There are more out there.
This is how the Rays got to where they are. Hungry players. Good coaching.
How so? The Red Sox are sunk for 2020 anyway. If you think Eovaldi is good then him getting injured will help the Sox in the Kumar Rocker sweepstakes.
Trade deadline.
Exactly, think long term
Who is the ace now???
I wanted Bloom to trade him but now that’s probably not a possibility anymore.
@Red Eye- Is Martin Perez available? Not to the Yankees of course. I always liked him in Texas. I remember he has that cutter.
@Yank4Life – Chaim Bloom did say that he would be listening to offers on anybody so if there’s an offer that satisfies both sides then a trade sending Martin Perez away from Boston wouldn’t be unexpected.
It’d be difficult to trade Eovaldi considering the contract that the Sox would probably have to take on. Even if Bloom does trade him, that’d leave a considerable hole in the rotation for next season, with only Sale, Rodriguez, and Perez as the established pitchers (possibly Darwinzon Hernandez / other prospects).
I doubt Eovaldi will be traded. He has that contract, he’s currently injured and has a history of elbow problems. The Sox will need him next season anyway. There’s no guarantees how Sale will be whenever he returns.
But trading Eovaldi would free up $ that Boston could use to sign a better/less injury prone starter. Bloom would be doing cartwheels if someone were willing to take him.
I’m not sure.
Nate is owed 34m over 2021-2022. If Boston chipped in 10-14m total I think you might find a taker at 10-12m/yr.
I also think that for a guy who paid down 16m/yr on price that wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
At this point though, an offseason trade makes more sense, if at all.
@AtlSoxFan I was more referring to a situation where some other team takes the entire Eovaldi contract. We can discuss how likely that is some other time but some Red Sox fans on here have unsarcastically said that they wouldn’t give Eovaldi up without getting prospects back even if the other team took the entire contract.
@Jim – I was responding mainly to those above who said eovaldi couldnt/wouldn’t be traded because of the contract.
That said, there’s plenty of red sox “fans” who are straight up idiots. On a long term basis, if eovaldi would get claimed on waivers that would be good for the red sox… it’d never happen though. Take all salary, nothing in return, good deal.
Sonny Seibert is the new ace of the staff.
Put Nate in the refrigerator, save him for next year. See if Swihart can be re-obtained and taught to pitch.
How was his 2019 output within expectations? lol he had almost a 6.00 ERA but mainly because he was hurt for most of the year.
An offseason trade seemed more likely for Eovaldi anyways.
The Red Sox are BEYOND lucky with this Covid season. No one is paying attention or cares.
If Bloom is the real deal they may compete in 2022 or 2023. The whole staff needs to be overhauled as your two best pitchers you have no idea what you will get out of in Sale and E Rod.
The author of the article exaggerates Mazza’s effectiveness. Mazza threw 75 pitches in only two and a third innings, not three and a third. I heard the game on radio, and it was the usual eternal Sox hurler torture. At least Barnes threw well. Maybe that punches his ticket elsewhere. As for Eovaldi, there is nothing to be done with him until he is pitching well over a number of games. If that stretch happens to coincide with the approach of the trade deadline of his 3rd or 4th contractual year, then he will have value to a contender. The Sox will still have pay him down to get a decent return.