Red Sox Place Richard Fitts On 15-Day IL, Select Michael Fulmer
The Red Sox are placing right-hander Richard Fitts on the 15-day injured list, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports, and Michael Fulmer‘s contract has been selected from Triple-A in the corresponding move. The club has now officially announced the move, and designated Fitts’ injury as a right pectoral strain. The Sox have an open spot on the 40-man roster, so no further transaction is needed to bring Fulmer to the active roster.
It seemed inevitable that an IL stint was coming for Fitts given how he abruptly left yesterday’s game in clear discomfort after throwing a pitch in the sixth inning. The Red Sox initially described his injury as “right shoulder pain,” so the fact that the issue has now been identified as a pec strain could be viewed as relatively good news. Still, Fitts could be facing an absence of well beyond 15 days depending on the severity of the strain, and no recovery timeline has yet been announced.
Fitts is now the sixth starting pitcher on Boston’s injured list. Chris Murphy (Tommy John surgery) and Patrick Sandoval (internal brace surgery) are out until at least midseason, and there hasn’t been much news on Kutter Crawford (patellar tendinopathy) since he began the season the 15-day IL. Brayan Bello (shoulder strain) and Lucas Giolito (hamstring strain) have both thrown multiple Triple-A rehab outings and appear closest to returning, but both will get at least one more start in Worcester before a decision is made about their activation. The Red Sox aren’t going to rush either back just in lieu of Fitts’ injury, as since the club has an off-day on Thursday, they don’t need a fifth starter until April 22 at the earliest.
The timing could allow Bello or Giolito to fit rather smoothly into Fitts’ place, though that doesn’t change the fact that the Red Sox pitching staff has been hit pretty hard by the injury bug in the early going. All of the rotation absences opened the door for Fitts to join the starting five in the first place, as he won the job with an impressive Spring Training and then delivered a 3.18 ERA over his first three starts and 17 innings.
Between this season’s work and the 1.74 ERA Fitts posted in his first 20 2/3 big league innings in 2024, Fitts now has a 2.39 ERA over 37 2/3 frames at the MLB level. His strikeout rate stands at only 14.2% and his 5.04 SIERA is far less flattering, but Fitts has good chase rates despite the lack of strikeouts and his 7.7% walk rate is solid.
Fulmer could also be utilized in the starting mix, as he has started two of his three games with Worcester this season. Whatever the role, Fulmer is surely happy just to finally be back in the majors, following a a UCL revision procedure that sidelined him for the entire 2024 season. The Red Sox signed Fulmer to a two-year minor league deal in October 2023, with the understanding that Fulmer would spend 2024 rehabbing and then be ready to go for this year.
Fulmer began his big league career as a starter with the Tigers in 2016, and enjoyed immediate success as the AL Rookie of the Year. An All-Star season in 2017 further seemed to cement his place as a big part of Detroit’s future, though his production took a step back in 2018, and he missed all of 2019 recovering from Tommy John surgery. Fulmer struggled in his return to the Tigers rotation in 2020 but then transitioned to relief pitching, and seemed to find a second wind to his career. Over 190 1/3 innings from 2021-23, Fulmer worked as a reliever for 172 of his 177 games with the Tigers, Twins, and Cubs, and delivered a 3.55 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate, and 9.4% walk rate.
A return to rotation work in the context of Fulmer’s past struggles and his long injury layoff may seem unusual, but Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said the team was viewing Fulmer as a possible candidate for at least bulk innings (if not a full starting job) even before signing him to that minor league deal. It will be interesting to see how Fulmer is deployed now that he is part of the 26-man roster, and whether or not manager Alex Cora could get creative with Fulmer in a variety of roles to best maximize his potential.
Richard Fitts Exits Start With Right Shoulder Issue
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.
Red Sox Notes: Fitts, Zavala, Moore, Ottavino, Front Office Changes
Right-hander Richard Fitts has pitched well in his bid for a starting job this spring, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed to reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) that Fitts had indeed landed the fourth starter’s role. Sean Newcomb and Quinn Priester now look to be the last two pitchers competing for the fifth spot behind Fitts, Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck, and Walker Buehler.
Injuries have thrown a few wrinkles into Boston’s rotation plans this spring, as Brayan Bello (shoulder soreness), Lucas Giolito (hamstring strain) and Kutter Crawford (right knee soreness) will all start the season on the injured list. This put the rotation depth to the test immediately, allowing Fitts and others the opportunity to get their feet in the door for a starting slot.
Fitts already made a good accounting for himself last season, when he debuted in the big leagues as a September call-up and posted a 1.74 ERA over his first 20 2/3 innings in the Show. Originally a member of the Yankees’ farm system, Fitts came to Boston as part of the three-player package New York sent to the Red Sox for Alex Verdugo last winter. A 4.17 ERA in 116 2/3 innings for Triple-A Worcester paved the way for Fitts’ late-season audition in the bigs, and he has kept up the good form with a 2.45 ERA in 14 2/3 innings this spring.
While Fitts has booked his spot on the Opening Day roster, the Red Sox have plenty more decisions to make before breaking camp. Some of the roster trimming continued today, as MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and Christopher Smith report that right-hander Michael Fulmer and catcher Seby Zavala wouldn’t be making the team, and Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe reports that the same is true of veteran pitchers Matt Moore and Adam Ottavino.
Moore and Ottavino are both Article XX(b) free agents, so their minor league deals contain built-in opt-out clauses for today, May 1, and June 1 unless their teams have selected those contracts to the 26-man roster. With the Sox informing Moore and Ottavino that they won’t be making the team, the ball is now in each player’s court as to whether or they’ll trigger their opt-out, or stick around in Boston’s farm system.
Zavala doesn’t have enough MLB service time to qualify for XX(b) status, but his deal have its own opt-out clause. Zavala told Cotillo that he’ll report to Triple-A Worcester unless he hears about another 40-man roster opportunity on another team within the next 24 hours. With Zavala not making the Opening Day cut, Carlos Narvaez looks to have all but officially wrapped up the backup catching job behind starter Connor Wong.
Fulmer’s two-year minor league contract doesn’t contain any opt-out provisions, so the former AL Rookie of the Year will head to Triple-A despite an impressive 0.96 ERA over 9 1/3 innings. A UCL revision surgery kept Fulmer on the shelf for the entirety of the 2024 season, which is why he inked that two-year pact with the Red Sox in February 2024. The early returns on Fulmer’s recovery look good, and he’ll bide his time in the minors waiting for a call to come for his return to the majors.
Beyond all of the internal options the Sox are considering, Cotillo and Smith write that the club could be looking to add some depth at first base. Triston Casas is the starting first baseman, and among bench options, Wong, Romy Gonzalez, and Rob Refsnyder all have experience at the position, though Refsnyder hasn’t played first since 2020, and deploying Wong at first base obviously creates a bit of a crunch behind the plate.
According to Cotillo and Smith, the Sox could have some interest in reuniting with Dominic Smith, even though Smith perhaps isn’t an ideal fit since he and Casas are both left-handed hitters. Smith played 84 games with Boston last year before being released in August, and Smith just re-entered the free agent market after opting out of a minors deal with the Yankees.
In some interesting behind-the-scenes Red Sox news, The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey detailed some of the many organizational changes Craig Breslow has overseen since being hired as Boston’s chief baseball officer in the fall of 2023. Breslow has conducted something of an overhaul of several different departments within baseball options, ranging from installing new department heads to entirely changing how certain divisions operate. The perception is that the Sox are adopting more of an analytical-based approach, as evidenced by staffing increases to the research and development department and cuts made within the various scouting divisions.
As one might expect, not all of these changes have been welcomed with open arms, creating some tension within current and former members of the organizational staff. Breslow admitted that “without a doubt, we had to make really difficult decisions,” but “my hope is that whether people agree with those decisions or not, they understood that we were making the best decisions that we could in order to further this goal we have of competing for World Series championships year over year. I don’t know that there’s a finish line. We need to constantly evolve, track our progress, reevaluate.”
Red Sox Notes: Houck, Newcomb, Fulmer, Chapman
The Red Sox haven’t approached right-hander Tanner Houck about a contract extension this spring, Houck himself tells Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. The 28-year-old adds that he’s open to such talks and would be happy to stay in Boston long-term — “I love it here” — but isn’t concerning himself with the lack of extension talks at present.
Houck reached arbitration for the first time this offseason and agreed on a $3.95MM salary to avoid a hearing. That contract came on the back of a breakout 2024 season wherein he pitched a career-high 178 2/3 innings with a 3.12 ERA, 20.7% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate, 55.9% grounder rate and 0.55 HR/9 over the life of 30 starts. After having floated between the bullpen in rotation in recent seasons, that career-best performance cemented Houck’s spot in Boston’s rotation.
Injuries to Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito only further locked Houck into a prominent rotation role. He’ll likely take the ball in the Red Sox’ second game, behind Opening Day starter Garrett Crochet. The rest of the rotation looks a bit different than most would’ve expected heading into camp. Free-agent signee Walker Buehler is locked into a spot, but there’s been a competition for the final two outings that’s taken place as health troubles have arisen.
Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic wrote earlier in the week that right-hander Richard Fitts looked to have the fourth spot in the rotation locked up. The 25-year-old Fitts, acquired from the Yankees in the trade sending Alex Verdugo to the Bronx, has allowed only one run in 10 2/3 official spring innings. He’s punched out 13 of his 31 opponents (31.7%) against four walks (9.8%). Fitts posted a 4.17 ERA, 22.6% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate in 116 2/3 Triple-A innings last year and also made a brief MLB debut, pitching 20 2/3 frames with a 1.74 ERA (in spite of a paltry 10.6% strikeout rate in the majors).
More surprisingly, McCaffrey listed veteran Sean Newcomb as a strong candidate to earn the fifth spot. MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith suggests the same, writing that manager Alex Cora said the veteran lefty has “caught our eyes” with an impressive spring of his own. Newcomb, a Massachusetts native, has held opponents to one run on five hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings. Unlike many veterans around the league on non-roster invitations, Newcomb does not have an opt-out in his contract before the end of camp, Smith notes, so the Sox don’t need to worry about losing him if they opt for someone already on the 40-man roster, such as righty Quinn Priester.
Similarly, veteran reliever Michael Fulmer tells WEEI’s Rob Bradford that his minor league deal with Boston does not have an opt-out opportunity. The former AL Rookie of the Year signed a two-year minor league deal with the Sox in the 2023-24 offseason as he rehabbed from a UCL revision performed in Oct. 2023.
Fulmer didn’t pitch last year while rehabbing that procedure, but the 32-year-old has been outstanding this spring. He’s tossed 9 1/3 innings and held opponents to one run on nine hits and three walks with nine strikeouts. The fact that he can’t opt out is a bit of a strike against his Opening Day chances, particularly if the Sox want to carry a long reliever to support their diminished rotation, but Fulmer has put himself in a nice position to either break camp with the team or get an early-season look.
At the other end of the bullpen, Boston’s ninth-inning picture has been a question for much of the spring. The hope was surely that Liam Hendriks would look closer to vintage form and claim that role as he enters the second season of a two-year contract, but it’s lefty Aroldis Chapman who’s emerged as the favorite for ninth-inning work, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com writes. Chapman has impressed the Sox with the quality of his raw stuff and has set down 10 of his 23 spring opponents on strikes. Hendriks has been tagged for six runs in five spring frames. Righty Justin Slaten also appears to be ahead of Hendriks on the closer depth chart — at least for the time being.
Certainly, that’s subject to change as the season wears on. Changes in the ninth inning are common, particularly when the frontrunner is a 37-year-old with persistent command issues and a recent injury history of note. Hendriks, Slaten or someone else entirely could wind up handling the bulk of the ninth-inning workload for skipper Alex Cora, but it sounds like Chapman will get first crack, thereby giving him a chance to become just the 14th pitcher in MLB history to tally 350 saves. He currently ranks 16th all-time, sitting just six saves behind Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers.
Red Sox To Select Richard Fitts
The Red Sox are planning to select the contract of right-hander Richard Fitts tomorrow, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. Per Smith, there’s a “really great chance” Fitts starts tomorrow’s game against the White Sox, though it’s also possible he’s used as a bulk reliever behind an Opener. The club’s 40-man roster is currently at capacity, meaning corresponding moves will be necessary to accommodate Fitts’s addition to both the 40-man and active rosters before tomorrow’s game.
Fitts, 24, was a sixth-round pick by the Yankees in the 2021 draft. After making his pro debut the following year, he reached the Double-A level with New York last year and delivered an impressive season with a 3.48 ERA in 152 2/3 innings of work across 27 starts where Fitts struck out 25.9% of batters faced. Over the offseason, Fitts was shipped to Boston alongside right-hander Greg Weissert and pitching prospect Nicholas Judice in the trade that sent Alex Verdugo to the Yankees.
It’s a trade that now looks rather lopsided in favor of the Red Sox, as Verdugo has struggled to an 84 wRC+ with New York this year and his lackluster performance has even prompted the club to consider bumping him from the lineup to accommodate top prospect Jasson Dominguez, though that has not happened to this point. Meanwhile, Weissert has provided the Red Sox with solid middle relief this year with a 3.81 ERA and 4.14 FIP in 52 innings of work. Now Fitts is set to join him in the majors coming off what has been a solid season at Triple-A, albeit not one as impressive as he posted at Double-A with the Yankees last year. In 116 2/3 innings of work this year, Fitts has posted a 4.17 ERA with a 22.6% strikeout rate against a 7.5% walk rate, as well as a career-best 42.4% grounder rate.
The right-hander will now make his way to Boston and look to carry that success he’s seen in the upper minors over into his major league debut. Should he start tomorrow’s game as expected, he’ll pitch opposite White Sox right-hander Chris Flexen, who sports a 5.36 ERA in 29 appearances with Chicago this year. While the Red Sox have a full rotation featuring Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, and Cooper Criswell at the moment, the club will now be able to offer their regular rotation extra rest ahead of a pair of tough series against the Orioles and Yankees next week by slotting Fitts in for a spot start.
Of course, the Red Sox are longshots to make the postseason at this point with a lackluster record of 72-70. Fangraphs gives the club a 9.9% chance to make the playoffs, although in order to do so they would need to run down either the Twins (76-66) or Royals (78-65) to capture an AL Wild Card spot with the AL East almost certainly out of reach. Even if getting their regular starters an additional day of rest ahead of a tough stretch of the schedule is unlikely to make an impact in the standings, however, it’s worth noting that the Red Sox would’ve needed to add Fitts to the 40-man roster this offseason even if they didn’t want him to get him big league exposure down the stretch in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, from which he’ll need to be protected this winter.