Subscribe
Follow Us
The Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Friday night. However, Boston manager Alex Cora suffered a fatal blow to his starting rotation. Starting pitcher Hunter Dobbins tore his ACL covering first base and is out for the season. His absence leaves a hole in the Red Sox's starting rotation, and Cora mentioned Tanner Houck and Richard Fitts as replacements.
Dobbins was in the middle of a breakout season in his first year in the major leagues. Through 13 appearances, the rookie is 4-1 with a 1.28 WHIP. The Red Sox fan base fully embraced him when he talked trash about the New York Yankees. The righty then stepped up and shut New York down twice in the span of one week.
Dobbins' absence puts Cora in a tough spot. While the Red Sox could trade for a starting pitcher before the deadline, they need to figure out how to fill the rookie's spot with who they have now. Cora spoke to The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey about who will step into the open rotation spot.
“(Houck) is in the equation, but like I said, I think Fitts is the one who will jump into the rotation,” Cora said.
Houck is closer than ever to returning from injury. However, the former All-Star's timetable is still up in the air. He and Cora hope that he can return to Boston's lineup soon after the All-Star break. In the meantime, Fitts will pitch in Houck's spot. Despite being the same age as Dobbins, the second-year pro has had a rough season so far.
Boston hopes that their pitchers can recover from such a tough blow without skipping a beat. The Red Sox own one of the three American League wild card spots. However, Boston's sights are set a bit higher.
The Red Sox are five games off the lead in the AL East. With Dobbins out for the season, Cora needs Houck and Fitts to continuing fueling his team toward success.
