Red Sox place Richard Fitts on injured list

The Red Sox' starting pitching rotation dilemma continues, as a fourth arm is sent to the injured list.

Boston announced on Sunday that Richard Fitts would be placed on the 15-day list with a right pectoral strain. The team called Michael Fulmer up to the big-league club from Triple-A to replace him and keep the 40-man roster full.

Fitts was originally not projected to make the Sox' rotation, but with Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, and Kutter Crawford all beginning the year on the IL, he got a nod. So now, with Fitts out the team has to resort to their third replacement option, which could be Fulmer.

For what it's worth, Fulmer is an experienced veteran, with seven years of major league play. He's started 90-of-262 games he's played in his career, with a 37-50 record, 3.94 ERA, and 575 strikeouts. However, he hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2023, and has been primarily a reliever since 2020 - only starting in 5-of-177 appearances from 2021-2023.

The loss of Fitts just exacerbates the Red Sox' bleak pitching situation. Currently, the Sox have one reliable arm, Garrett Crochet, and the rest is the Wild West. However, both Bello and Giolito seem to be close to fully rehabbed, so help may be near.

Bello made his Triple-A rehab start on Friday, throwing four innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs, and five strikeouts.

"Yeah, I felt good," Bello told reporters through a translator after the game, via Kaley Brown of Boston.com. "I feel like I’m 100 percent healthy. ... It’s been a while [since] I’ve felt this good. My pitches are good, I feel good mentally, I feel good physically. I’m excited about this.

"If they decide that I need one more here in Triple-A, I’ll do it. If they decide that I’m ready to pitch in a big league game, I’m also ready for it. They haven’t told me anything," he continued.

According to Alex Cora, Bello could be joining the big-league club again soon. But, he wants the 25-year-old to reach five innings in an Triple-A outing before bringing him to Boston. Therefore, he will likely need one more start in Worcester before Bello brings some good news to the Sox' rotation.

For Giolito, the timeline seems a little longer. The 30-year-old has not thrown a pitch for the Sox, despite entering his second season as a member of the organization. He had his second rehab start in Worcester on Apr. 9, where he threw only 64 pitches over 3.1 innings. Considering the smaller workload, it seems fair to assume that Giolito is at least one, likely more, start away from being ready for Boston.

So, the Red Sox' pitching rotation continues to need to improvise. Once one of Bello or Giolito can return to the Sox there will be a bit more stability, but currently, the situation just keeps getting worse.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.