Red Sox mulling rotation options after Fitts lands on IL (arm neuritis)

BALTIMORE -- The Red Sox continue to experience attrition with the lower portion of their starting rotation. The latest? Tuesday’s announcement that righty Richard Fitts was placed on the 15-day injured list with right arm neuritis.

The significance of that injury will become clearer when the club returns home this weekend and Fitts gets a full workup from the team’s medical staff. The good news is that early indications are that the injury is confined to the biceps and the nerves surrounding it, and not the ulnar collateral ligament in Fitts’ right elbow.

“I think we’ll wait to go to Boston, and see how it goes with the inflammation, and then decide what the treatment is going to be,” manager Alex Cora said. “Obviously, he's not going to be available. I don't know for how long, but hopefully, we can get him back before the season ends.”

The injury to Fitts comes just days after the struggling Walker Buehler was removed from the rotation and placed in the bullpen. Lefty Jovani Morán was recalled from Triple-A Worcester to take Fitts' spot on the roster.

Cora said Buehler will continue to pitch in relief. Fitts was looked at as a possible replacement for Buehler. The big righty went four innings in bulk relief on Monday before suffering his injury.

With no scheduled off-days this week, the Red Sox will need a starter by Saturday at the latest. Lucas Giolito started on Tuesday night in Baltimore, and Brayan Bello and Garrett Crochet will pitch the final two games of the road trip.

Dustin May, who has had two rough starts and two good ones since being acquired from the Dodgers on July 31, is currently the fourth starter.

One thing that would generate big-time buzz at Fenway this weekend is if Boston’s No. 2 prospect, lefty Payton Tolle, gets called up for his MLB debut.

Tolle, the 50th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, pitched five brilliant innings (one hit, one run, no walks, nine strikeouts) in his most recent start for Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 22.

“What’s most important is that he stays present, works hard between outings, and remains focused on his pitching goals every time he steps on the mound,” Red Sox senior director of player development Brian Abraham told MLB.com in a recent interview. “That said, we have no doubt that when the time comes for him to help our Major League club, he will be fully prepared,”

Another option is lefty Kyle Harrison, who made 35 career starts for the Giants prior to the Red Sox acquiring him as the centerpiece of the trade return for Rafael Devers on June 15.

Harrison was held to 38 pitches over three innings for Worcester in Tuesday night's start against Durham, keeping him in play as an option for Boston this weekend.

Current Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey served that role for the Giants when made his first seven starts in the Major Leagues in 2023, going 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA.

“Obviously, he's got some elite stuff, and I know he's really moving the needle in Worcester right now,” Bailey said on Aug. 24. “So he's been throwing the ball well and obviously, we’ve got our eyes on him and we’re excited for the future for him with the Red Sox at some point in time.”

“I just remember the signature start for me was when I had him and he started in San Francisco versus the Reds [on Aug. 28, 2023] and he punched out 11, and the fastball was just electric at the top of the zone. He’s got a high ceiling, and hopefully he gets an opportunity soon.”

Cora offered no clues on who he will deploy for the No. 5 spot this weekend, and beyond that.

“There’s going to be conversations during the week, and then we'll decide what we do,” Cora said.

An under the radar candidate is righty Tyler Uberstine, who is having a solid season (111 strikeouts in 99 2/3 innings between Double-A Portland and Triple-A). He was a 19th-round selection in the 2021 MLB Draft.

The Sox have already lost starting pitchers Tanner Houck and Hunter Dobbins for the season. Veteran lefty Patrick Sandoval won’t pitch in 2025 as he continues to rehab from an internal bracing procedure on his UCL. Quinn Priester was traded to the Brewers on April 7.

Boston is trying to pin down its first postseason appearance since 2021, and Cora doesn’t expect the adversity in the rotation to prevent his club from achieving that quest.

“We’ve got options. We still got options down there. Obviously less than [we had] a week ago, but we feel good where we’re at,” Cora said.