The Boston Red Sox's injured list is packed, and the crowd only seems to be getting bigger. There are some key Red Sox who were supposedly on short-term IL stints, but they haven't made their return to the roster yet.
The player in the front of most Red Sox fans' minds is Nick Pivetta. The righty was trusted to take the ball as Boston's No. 2 starter twice before his IL stint and he shoved in both his outings. Pivetta has posted a 0.82 ERA and struck out 13 batters in 11 innings.
The 31-year-old was placed on the 15-day IL with a flexor strain. His stint is retroactive to April 6, so his first possible date to return was April 21, which did not happen.
Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that the Red Sox plan to ease Pivetta back into action. He'll first throw live batting practice, then Alex Cora hopes the right-hander will make a rehab start or two before returning to the rotation. The team is estimating Pivetta's live BP to take place on April 30, so his return will likely be around mid-May.
According to @ChrisCotillo, doesn’t sound like Nick Pivetta will be ready once he’s eligible to come off the IL (April 21st).
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) April 20, 2024
He still needs to progress through a bullpen today, up-and-down Thursday, and then live BP. The hope is he’d make 1-2 rehab starts after that.
So far,… pic.twitter.com/nENhmStoEz
Red Sox waiting for Nick Pivetta, Romy González to return from injured list
The Red Sox's shortstop issues have been their biggest killer in recent games. The defense in Boston's middle infield has been less than ideal, and Romy González could help fix that upon his return to the lineup.
The utility player was placed on the 10-day IL retroactive to April 11, with a wrist sprain. González made one start for the big-league club before hitting the shelf. If his recovery went according to plan, his return date would have been the same as Pivetta's ideal return time on April 21.
But González faced a setback and admitted to feeling additional pain in his wrist when swinging. On April 18, Boston announced that an MRI that was commissioned for González came back clear.
There have been few other updates regarding González's status since his MRI results were released. All the while, more of Boston's infielders have taken up residence on the IL with injuries of their own. And, as it seems every year lately, Boston is desperate once again, just waiting for players to recover.