CHICAGO -- A day after Richard Fitts left his start at Rate Field with what the team called right shoulder pain, the Red Sox placed the rookie right-hander on the 15-day injured list Sunday morning with a right pectoral strain.
In a corresponding move, Boston selected the contract of veteran right-hander Michael Fulmer and added him to the active roster. The 40-man roster is now full.
Fitts felt pain on his fifth pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning Saturday, and then felt the same sensation on pitch No. 6. He gestured to the dugout, which brought out manager Alex Cora and a team trainer. That ended his day on the mound after five-plus scoreless innings.
Fitts headed back to Boston on Sunday, and he¡¯s scheduled for an MRI on Monday.
The injury comes while the Red Sox are still waiting for a few other rotation options to get healthy and join the team. Right-hander Lucas Giolito (15-day, left hamstring strain) will make his third rehab start in the next few days, weather permitting. He struck out three and allowed one run in 3 1/3 innings Wednesday for Triple-A Worcester. Right-hander Kutter Crawford (15-day, right patellar soreness) is not expected to return before May.
Right-hander Brayan Bello (15-day, right shoulder inflammation) made his third rehab start Friday, striking out five while allowing three runs (two earned) in four innings. Fitts¡¯ injury hasn¡¯t sped up Bello¡¯s timeline, though, as he¡¯s still set to make another start this week -- though Cora said it ¡°most likely will be the last one in his rehab.¡±
For the upcoming series against the Rays, the Red Sox have righties Tanner Houck and Walker Buehler lined up to start Monday and Tuesday, respectively, with ¡°TBD¡± listed for the series finale Wednesday. Boston is discussing potentially using an opener, though Cora noted lefty Sean Newcomb is ¡°in line to pitch that game¡± in some capacity.
A 2017 American League All-Star and the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year, Fulmer has pitched for three Major League clubs across seven seasons, most recently with the Cubs in 2023. He ended that season on the IL and ultimately underwent right elbow UCL revision surgery on Oct. 18, 2023. He signed a Minor League deal with the Red Sox last February but missed the entire 2024 season due to the surgery.
In three appearances (two starts) with Worcester this season, Fulmer recorded a 3.09 ERA across 11 2/3 innings. His last outing Thursday saw him throw four innings out of the bullpen. Boston¡¯s plan is to use Fulmer in relief, with the idea that he can go multiple innings.
¡°Hopefully, we have a big lead, and he can go in there and give us three innings,¡± Cora said. "That's what he's here for. Obviously, the changeup comes into play. There's a lineup that, [Sunday], [the White Sox] got a bunch of righties of course with Garrett [Crochet] on the mound. So having him in the bullpen helps.¡±
Boston signs veteran catcher Grandal
The Red Sox officially welcomed Yasmani Grandal to the organization Sunday, signing the veteran catcher to a Minor League contract.
Grandal, who debuted for the Padres on June 2, 2012, has caught 1,114 games in the Majors and owns a career .769 OPS. His experience could especially be important after catcher Connor Wong hit the injured list Tuesday with a left pinkie fracture, which is expected to keep him out for a few more weeks.
Boston is currently carrying Carlos Narv¨¢ez and Blake Sabol as its two catchers on the roster. The duo had combined to catch 81 big league games entering Sunday.
Of course, Grandal spent Spring Training without a team, so he¡¯ll need to get his reps. But he¡¯s got plenty of big league experience behind the plate, which could prove beneficial for the Red Sox.
¡°There's a lot of guys out there that are good players that don't have jobs, and they will have jobs,¡± Cora said. ¡°... This happens. I think this is where we're at as an industry. Some guys don't have jobs, and now that the season is going, people get hurt and you're going to call the veterans.¡±