CHICAGO -- Richard Fitts pulled a sweeper outside for ball one, and he felt a tightness in his shoulder area that he hadn¡¯t felt before. He went back to the sweeper on the next pitch, but he pulled that one even further outside and felt the same sensation.
Fitts then gestured toward the dugout, summoning manager Alex Cora and a trainer. That would be the last pitch he threw on the day.
The Red Sox¡¯s rookie right-hander left Saturday¡¯s 3-2 loss to the White Sox at Rate Field in the bottom of the sixth inning with right shoulder pain.
Fitts was six pitches into the sixth with Boston leading, 2-0, the sixth being the sweeper that made it a 2-2 count and brought Cora to the mound. Following a brief meeting, Cora removed Fitts from the game. Fitts was placed on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a right pectoral strain. Boston selected right-hander Michael Fulmer from Triple-A Worcester to replace him on the roster.
Prior to his exit, Fitts had cruised through his start against the White Sox. He tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out a career-high five hitters. He had also posted a 27.5 percent whiff rate, the highest mark of any of his seven Major League outings.
¡°It's really disappointing for it to happen, especially in the game that we were having today,¡± Fitts said. ¡°But I feel confident in our staff and our team, too, that we're going to make the right decisions and we're going to find out what's going on.¡±
In relief of Fitts, the Red Sox brought in Zack Kelly. After warming up on the mound versus in the bullpen like he normally would, play resumed with the count still at 2-2.
Kelly ultimately walked White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas in a plate appearance that lasted 10 pitches, and two batters later, Chicago center fielder Luis Robert Jr. tied up the ballgame with a home run to right-center field.
¡°It's part of the game,¡± Kelly said of coming in cold in the middle of a plate appearance. ¡°Obviously, it's a tough situation, just because you never want to see one of your guys go down. But ultimately, you still got to come in and do your job. It just, unfortunately, didn't happen.¡±
The game stayed knotted up until the bottom of the ninth, when Aroldis Chapman -- who had not allowed a run in his first six appearances -- gave up the walk-off single to White Sox pinch-hitter Brooks Baldwin.
Coming off a four-start debut stint last September -- in which he posted a 1.74 ERA across 20 2/3 innings -- Fitts earned a spot in the Red Sox¡¯s Opening Day rotation with some other starters beginning the year on the injured list. In three outings this season, Fitts posted two quality starts and recorded a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings -- though he¡¯s still winless in his career.
As far as concern-level goes, Cora said, ¡°obviously, [when] we talk about MRIs, you always get concerned,¡± but there seems to be some hope it won¡¯t be an extended absence.
¡°I wasn't even supposed to throw in Tampa anyway,¡± Fitts said of Boston¡¯s upcoming road series, ¡°so hopefully, I don't even miss a beat, and we'll be back going soon.¡±
If Fitts misses much time, some reinforcements are potentially on the way over the next couple of weeks.
Brayan Bello (15-day IL, right shoulder) made his third rehab start Friday. He threw 64 pitches across four innings for Triple-A Worcester, allowing three runs (two earned) but striking out five and walking none.
Cora said pregame Saturday that the team was still monitoring how Bello recovered following his outing and noted there is ¡°definitely¡± at least one more rehab start for Bello.
¡°This is more about him than us,¡± Cora said. ¡°If we want to be reactive, we'll be like, ¡®OK, he pitches in Tampa [next week].¡¯ But we got to think about him and take care of him so he can take care of us.¡±
Lucas Giolito (15-day IL, left hamstring) is also closing in on a return after building up to 3 1/3 innings in his second rehab outing Wednesday. That day, he threw 64 pitches and gave up just one run while striking out three. Giolito is expected to make his next start this upcoming week, potentially with Worcester on the road depending on weather.
In the short term, the Red Sox could turn to a Minor Leaguer like Hunter Dobbins or Cooper Criswell, who are both on the 40-man roster.