For the second time this week, the Boston Red Sox announced that an important player will miss extended time due to injury. On Tuesday, Boston announced that pitcher Nick Pivetta will be placed on the 15-day injured list with a right flexor strain. In his place, the Red Sox called up Brennan Bernardino from Triple-A.
The #RedSox today placed RHP Nick Pivetta on the 15-Day Injured List, retroactive to April 6, with a right elbow flexor strain.
To fill Pivetta’s spot on the active roster, the club recalled LHP Brennan Bernardino from Triple-A Worcester.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 9, 2024
Pivetta will head to the injured list days after Trevor Story suffered a serious shoulder injury. For the Red Sox to contend, its top players must perform at a high level while youngsters step up. Boston will try to stay afloat despite losing two main veteran contributors, Pivetta and Story, for the foreseeable future.
Red Sox Place Nick Pivetta on Injured List
The lack of depth on the Red Sox pitching staff represented a main national storyline this offseason. That issue became exasperated when Lucas Giolito suffered a season-ending arm injury early in Spring Training. Pivetta’s absence will remove the last veteran presence in an unproven Boston rotation.
In two starts this year, Pivetta tossed 11 innings with a 0.82 ERA and 13 strikeouts with just one walk. Though it’s a small sample size, it continues a run of success for Pivetta that started midway through last season.
Pivetta started 2023 in the rotation but moved to the bullpen after early struggles. The demotion taught the Canadian to be more aggressive in the zone and attack hitters. This proved key, as Pivetta quickly earned more innings via longer outings before making his way back to the rotation.
Craig Breslow also spoke on Nick Pivetta’s timetable and believes he might not be out much beyond his IL stint.
Called it a “mild” strain, per @alexspeier.
Noted the Red Sox will take advantage of off days. Chase Anderson and Cooper Criswell are potential fill ins. pic.twitter.com/znEVS9FBNw
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) April 9, 2024
From July 2 through the end of the season, Pivetta tossed 82 2/3 innings across 18 games and posted a 3.27 ERA. Perhaps most encouraging, he struck out 116 while giving up only walking 22. Advanced metrics typically show Pivetta love, but his adjustments seemed to finally allow him to break out and produce at a high level.
The timing of this injury could not be worse for Pivetta. The 31-year-old hoped to break out this season, and then get paid in free agency this winter. Now, Pivetta will head to the injured list with an injury that is often a precursor to Tommy John surgery. If that’s his fate, Pivetta will be in good company as a high-ceiling arm that (might) need a Tommy John operation.
Current State of the Red Sox Rotation
While Pivetta’s injury seems ominous, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow told reporters that Pivetta’s strain is mild and doesn’t expect him to be out too long. In the meantime, Boston will take advantage of off days and keep the four remaining starters on normal rest.
Brayan Bello will continue leading the rotation in Pivetta’s absence while Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck will have to step up. The last trio have all split time between the majors, minors, bullpen, and injured list in recent seasons. For the Red Sox to survive this year, they must establish themselves as legitimate starters and cover for the absence of Pivetta and Giolito.
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