Boston Red Sox starting rotation in shambles, but there is still hope

The Boston Herald is reporting that three Boston Red Sox pitchers have been placed on the “injured” list, who will be left?

The Boston Herald is reporting that Eduardo Rodriguez, Darwinzon Hernandez, and Josh Taylor have all been placed on the injured list for the Boston Red Sox.

The question is, who will be left to pitch for the Sox when the season begins if it indeed does?

Rodriguez is arguably the Sox’ best starting pitcher. Hernandez is a possible starter or reliever and Taylor is a reliever. All probably entered into the Red Sox plans for this season. The thin Red Sox staff is becoming ever-thinner. Who will be left when the team actually plays regular-season games, if they in fact do?

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The Boston Red Sox are frankly emaciated in their starting rotation. Chris Sale is gone until next season at least with Tommy John surgery. David Price has been sent to the LA Dodgers (and reportedly will not play this season). And Eduardo Rodriguez has been diagnosed with coronavirus. That puts the top three Sox starters from 2019 at the beginning of that season, well, elsewhere.

If that sounds like a dire situation, it is. MLB is allowing a 60-man player pool in these unusual circumstances. Mark Feinsand of mlb.com writes,

"While 30 players will make up the initial Opening Day roster for each team, the other 30 will remain at an Alternate Training Site, which is likely to be a ballpark of one of the club’s nearby Minor League affiliates."

With these three players possibly sidelined for the beginning of the season, it is becoming increasingly likely that unsuspecting and unexpected minor league players may be called upon by Boston to fill in. This is a double-edged sword.

Those who are not ready to assume that role. will likely fail.

Yet, what about those players, both pitchers and others who slot in and impress? Think Jay Groome, a big lefty with all kinds of talent who at age 21 could make an impact. This is just the chance a talent like Groome is looking for to impact the big club a lot sooner than expected.

So, there is dread and yet maybe also opportunity in the current Boston Red Sox pitching and other situations. Where not much is expected, sometimes a lot more may be attained. Let’s hope for the best.

First, let’s hope that all players and all others around the globe afflicted by this terrible illness will completely recover. And that no one else will be afflicted.

Next. Boston Red Sox: Starting rotation in serious trouble. dark

Then, let’s hope that by some fluke, the new Boston Red Sox under Chaim Bloom finds the magic formula that can bring Boston to title glory in 2020. It may be unlikely, but, as former Celtic’s great, Kevin Garnett once said, “Anything’s possibllllllllllllllle”.

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