Richard Fitts was abruptly pulled in the sixth inning of his rock-solid outing against the Chicago White Sox on April 12.
Fitts cruised through five, two-hit, no run innings with a walk and five strikeouts the day after the Boston Red Sox were brutally defeated by the lowest-scoring team in baseball. But on the first batter he faced in the sixth frame, things took a turn.
Fitts fired his fifth pitch to Miguel Vargas, then grabbed his throwing shoulder in pain. Red Sox manager Alex Cora and a trainer visited Fitts on the mound before he was pulled for reliever Zack Kelly to take over. Two batters later, Kelly surrendered a two-run homer to Luis Robert Jr that tied the game and set Boston up to take another loss.
Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported during the game that the righty experienced "shoulder pain," but the team doesn't have a formal diagnosis yet. Regardless, another pitcher injury is bad news for Boston. Fitts will return to Boston for an MRI on April 13.
Richard Fitts pulled with 'shoulder pain' in sixth inning of Red Sox's April 12 loss to White Sox
Richard Fitts left it all on the mound today 👏
— NESN (@NESN) April 12, 2025
▪️ 5+ IP
▪️ 2 H
▪️ 0 R
▪️ 1 BB
▪️ 5 K
Hope he’s okay 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Zpvy7UzwSJ
The former Yankees prospect has been reliable on the mound so far. He's pitched to a 3.18 ERA with 13 strikeouts and five walks over 17 innings.
FItts made the Red Sox's Opening Day roster as a depth starter as Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito and Kutter Crawford rehab injuries they've dealt with since spring training. Bello and Giolito need at least one more rehab start in Triple-A before they make their 2025 debuts, but until they're ready, the Sox have few replacement options for Fitts in the rotation.
The Red Sox on April 7 traded Quinn Priester, another potential depth starter, to the Brewers — an extra arm that would come in handy if Fitts needs to be sidelined long-term. Top pitching prospect Hunter Dobbins made his major league debut for Boston on April 6 and posted a five-inning, two-run night. He could be the Sox's call if Fitts needs time to rest or an injured list stint.