Right-hander Richard Fitts exited his start for the Red Sox today due to what the team is describing as “right shoulder pain,” according to a club announcement. As noted by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Fitts threw a pitch to Miguel Vargas in the sixth inning of his start against the White Sox today but immediately grabbed his throwing arm in discomfort before being visited on the mound by manager Alex Cora and a team trainer and departing the game. More details about the issue aside from Boston’s initial announcement are not yet known. Cotillo relays that Fitts told reporters after the game that he’s being sent for an MRI tomorrow morning.
While it’s difficult to determine the exact severity of the issue without more information, it would hardly be a surprise to see the Red Sox place Fitts on the injured list in the coming days. At the very least, it seems that the club will send the young righty for imagining to learn more about what’s ailing him. After impressing in a four-start debut for the Red Sox last year with a 1.74 ERA and 3.31 FIP, the righty has now made three starts for Boston in 2025 with a 3.18 ERA in 17 frames. It’s an impressive showing for Fitts overall, who the Red Sox acquired in the Alex Verdugo trade with the Yankees last year.
That strong performance already makes the possibility of an extended absence for Fitts troubling, but even a short one could be problematic given the club’s current pitching situation. Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, and Kutter Crawford are all already on the injured list, to say nothing of the ongoing UCL rehab processes of Chris Murphy and Patrick Sandoval. That leaves the Red Sox somewhat short on starting pitching depth, especially after they shipped right-hander Quinn Priester to the Brewers in a rare early-season trade. Those injuries opened up a rotation spot for Fitts (as well as non-roster invitee Sean Newcomb) in the first place, but now the Red Sox may need to find someone to fill in for Fitts as well until Bello or Giolito is ready to return to the majors.
Both Bello and Giolito are expected to make at least one more rehab start before the club considers activating them, though an exact date for either player’s activation likely won’t be available until after said final rehab outing. In the meantime, the club’s options for rotation depth are somewhat lacking. Cooper Criswell made 18 starts last year, but was recently optioned to the minors after surrendering eight runs (five earned) in just 4 1/3 innings as a reliever since Opening Day. Josh Winckowski and Hunter Dobbins are among the other options the club has available at Triple-A Worcester already on the 40-man roster, and Dobbins in particular looked solid in a spot start earlier this year. Of course, the possibility none of those players will be needed remains on the table until the Red Sox provide a more comprehensive update regarding Fitts’s status.
Hope this kid is ok he looks really solid
Pool – He doesn’t look solid, he looks spectacular! 5 innings today on only 76 pitches with only 2 hits, 1 Walk, and 71% of his pitches were for strikes. He has been arguably the Sox best starting pitcher.
Thoughts and prayers to Mr. Fitts for a speedy recovery.
Fitts is the pitcher who convinced me that pitch clock was a good thing. I saw him in late ‘22 pitching for the Yankees affiliate in Hudson Valley and I thought I was watching Greg Maddux based on the speed he was pitching and his command. The speed was driven by the pitch clock, but I was sure I was watching a future major leaguer and have followed him since, even after he left the Yankees. Hope the shoulder injury isn’t bad.
Lord – Well said!
Many of the people here thought Priester would be a stud and Fitts wouldn’t amount to anything.
Priester did look good in Colorado, but I believe they are very wrong about Fitts.
Really? I dont really remember many liking Preister that much at all compared to Fitts after what Fitts showed last year
I liked Priester, but liked Fitts as well. Wishing both of them the best.
If the Dick Fitts
Preister didn’t show much and Milwaukee paid a heavy future price so that was a move everyone would have made. I’ve been a Fitts fan ever since his first big league start. You could see it in his build and appearance. Hopefully this is a minor issue given the weather.
Pool – Yes I remember supporting Fitts and getting lots of blowback that Priester was far better. I’m not gonna name people because that’s just not right, but the comments are there.
The reason for their comments was the usual, velo. Some people here are obsessed with velo. They liked Priester much more because his SINKER was at 96.5 last year while Fitts was at just 94.5 with his four-seam fastball.
And BTW I am convinced this injury to Fitts is the result of his increased velo, all of a sudden he was throwing 99 MPH and it was very noticeable in ST.
You could be, and likely are, right. Sudden spikes in velocity often result in increased arm injuries. Teams see a back-end arm but then think they can make him a front-end arm with a few miles added to the fastball. They often end up with neither once the arm injuries start.
Yankees blew it by trading Fitts as part of the package for Verdugo.
With luck its a mild strain and not any serious tears to labrum etc
He looked really good but it was the white Sox…
Who are up 2-0 on the season. Maybe you can join the Red Sox broadcast booth
That right shoulder was giving him Fitts
Yeah, send him for “imagining.”
This isn’t the first time this mistake was made by this author: mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/the-opener-yankees-lawr…
Weird thing to care about…
Lase – Nick is a rookie, cut him some slack please. He puts out a lot of content.
That’s what the hippie Lennon was wishing for. Imagining for all the little pitchers and catchers out there, boys and girls, cowboys and Indians, ducks and sheep. A world where anyone could image
If Lennon was a hippie then I’m a Rastafarian. Jah man pass the scooby snax.
Lively up yourself then
That did not look good at all.
Just another lost.
Can’t hit
Can’t pitch beyond the starters
Cora had better options of relief selection ,knowing he needs a win.
But as usual he puts in the wrong relief pitcher.
They approached it in Fitts and starts, and could never really get it going…
Should have gone to whitlock for 2 instead of kelly
The way Kelly has been pitching of late ,he shouldn’t have been there.
Just a mop type pitcher now until proven otherwise.
But Cora can’t manage any pen. Shown that for many years now
Yes Whitlock should’ve been there.
But I keep hearing from Ken Rosenthal and Jim Bowden and Walter Conkrite that Alex Cora is the greatest field manager-mastermind 4-D chess playing grand wizard that’s ever graced a baseball diamond. He doesn’t make mistakes.
Pool – Whitlock is not allowed to pitch more than once over any 3-day period.
He last pitched on the 10th therefore he wasn’t eligible today as he’s too fragile.
Cora needs to go. They need a reboot. The hitting is absolutely embarrassing. What are they at now? 5 or 6 straight games without a single home run? Granted it’s early, but between the hitting, the p. poor managing and the Bad News Bears fielding, they need to rethink the whole thing.
Commas don’t start sentences. Should also be “another loss.”
How bad is this now
Losing a series to the White Sox
What a joke of a team
Remember, this is Cora’s team
He manages the team
Okay, I’ll agree on this one. Much better grammar.
Wow. Didn’t know Trade rumours had grammar police.
This guy can’t take a joke. Instead calls people idiots and morons.
How about just you being an idiot moron.
Keep your grammar thoughts to yourself
All would be good
How you keep your insults to yourself and I’ll stop? No right to be calling people insults.
Then you should refrain from stating poor grammar comments
Which is an insult, so you started this not me.
Sox – Cora refuses to accept responsibility, and ownership refuses to hold Cora accountable. Nothing we can do about it.
There’s reason to be positive though. Last year the Red Sox had lost 2 of 3 games in Chicago against the ChiSox and they were on the verge of losing the 4th game. However they pulled out the win and that totally turned around their season, they immediately went on a nice long stretch of winning.
So maybe it will be DJ Vous all over again.
One can only hope
A tanka attempt
I tried to figure it out
But it escaped me
A tanka? It’s formatted wrong
Five seven five seven twice
Give him a real diagnosis, instead of “imagining” one.
Brian – It’s the Casas approach, visualizing becomes reality just like his swings during rehab last year ;O)
Ol’ Dick Fitts
Sodom – Actually in South Korea it’s very popular for women to have filler via surgery, because they want their men to be happy. Unfortunately some of the women are passing away because of the procedure, which is actually quite dangerous.
Yes I’m a fountain of knowledge ;O)
Filler?
Little Richard Fitts wife got filler surgery so that any Dick Fitts her now?
After imagining he will to get filler surgery
Major – Yep not kidding, Google “South Korea filler deaths”.
It’s a crazy world.
Damn I just realized I’m Cliff Clavin ….. probably not a good thing. LOL
Imagine getting swept by the White Sox… this team is just as pathetic as last year. They ain’t going anywhere with Cora at the helm. Used to love the guy, but he’s washed up. What a joke.
While they’re at it, fire the guys who work on the pitching arms
Fitts: “It’s close to the shoulder, but we’re going to figure out exactly what’s going on and kind of go from there.”
nesn.com/2025/04/red-soxs-alex-cora-offers-update-…
I had a shoulder injury in the minors, when the reporter for the local news came in, I had been told to be vague and not give any info. This was the way 20 years ago and still is today. You don’t say anything until it’s fully known.
Shoulder giving him Fitts.
I’ll show myself out
Obviously Dick is in Fitts right now.
I too shall see myself out.
If the Dick Fitts, wear it!
I wont gloat like the majority of RS fans did when Cole went down..
Clarence – Those who did that are not real Red Sox fans and should be ignored like a hair on a Coke can.
Red Sox Nation cares about the health of all players, and wants to win by beating the best …. not by beating teams who have suffered injuries.
instead of saying you won’t gloat you just implied it heavily
Luckily Bello is about ready to come back
Rsox – Yes and Gio should be right behind him.
I’m surprised Mr. Deeds didn’t mention Fulmer, who pitched very well in ST and has been good in AAA this year.
I know he’d have to be added to the 40-man, but that could easily be done. Moving Crawford to the 60-day would be one option.
I expect Fulmer in the pen.
Wait – Could go either way, but yeah Dobbins seems to be the most likely candidate to replace Fitts until Bello and Gio return.
BTW – I know I bring a ton of info to the table and it’s not always easily verifiable with links, but I found something that proves what I said about Thursday’s extra inning win over Toronto: Red Sox benefited greatly from horrendous umpiring calls behind the plate.
Manny Gonzalez missed FOURTEEN calls,in the Red Sox win and TWELVE of them benefited the Red Sox. Talk about a tainted win.
bosoxinjection.com/umpires-brutal-strike-zone-help…
ABS can’t come soon enough, and MLB needs to focus more on umpire quality than umpire diversity.
After watching Newcomb implode last night they need both back ASAP. On the plus side, they played a clean defensive game today so there’s that. And Campbell’s on base streak to start his career continued
Campbell and Casas misplayed balls.
Rsox – I love Campbell, but he was originally charged with an error yesterday that was later controversially changed to a hit. I was listening though, not watching.
I knew when they said the White Sox lost 8 in a row that they were due for a series win against us
Verdugo for Fitts and weissert is a rare case of a trade working out for both teams.
Verdugo sucked for the Yankees last year and was a free agent after 2024 (his only season with the Yanks). I am not sure I would call that successful for the Yanks, but Fitts and Weissert have been pretty good for the Red Sox.
The Red Sox aren’t just hurting from Fitts’s injury—they’re paying the price for a pitching strategy that patches holes with trades and free agents instead of cultivating durable arms. No one’s talking about this because the focus is on IL updates and rehab timelines, but the real issue is a farm system that’s failed to deliver a single rotation mainstay since Bello. If Fitts’s MRI shows structural damage, Boston’s lack of internal options could force a trade overpay or a lost season, a flaw baked into their roster DNA but invisible in injury reports.
Crawford and Bello were unfortunate and unforeseen injuries, but a vast majority of the staff is the island of broken toys. It shouldn’t be surprising to see a bunch of guys go down, while getting below expectation returns from guys coming back as they shake off their rust.
william – It’s also the continued emphasis on velo that’s injuring Sox pitchers. As I mentioned above, probably not a coincidence the increased velo of Fitts contributed to the shoulder injury.
Something needs to be done about the overthrowing, but finding the answer isn’t easy.
And here we are a fourth straight “The aren’t just…. Unreal, lay off the AI
I say we just start flagging his comments
They aren’t even his comments, they are comments of an algorithm. If everyone on here was like York this would basically just be a search engine.
Boys, we’re going to have infield practice today until you guys get it right, and then we’re going to have get the bat on the ball practice until you guys quit striking out like a bunch of farm leaguers. Geez, it’s like you guy’s forgot how to take two and go to right. Now, get out there!
Okay Nation… sometimes it’s not all Chicago style dogs and stuffed pizza… sometimes I have to eat crow and be humbled and humiliated by the tens of White Sox fans I’m about to encounter at whatever they call that place at 35th and shields… I will have to sit there to chants of sweep!!! Ridicule of how the swept us in 05 and worse off!!, Fisk played more games for us!!! But I will do this.. my team, OUR team needs me.. I will cheer loudly, I will sing shipping up to Boston with Dirty water oncore, proudly and my so good so good so goods will be heard back in Cicero!!!If this is what it takes, then I’m ready for it!! ( one thing I won’t do…. Is mention I’m president of Brais fan club, they hate the Cubs)
Best name in baseball, currently.