It didn't take Boston Red Sox fans long to go from looking forward to this weekend's Chicago White Six series to wanting it to be over as soon as possible. Saturday's 3-2 walk-off loss saw the Red Sox pick up their second consecutive loss to the White Sox while now being outscored 14-3 on aggregate.
If Saturday's loss wasn't bad enough in a vacuum, it was made worse by Red Sox starting pitcher Richard Fitts' early exit. The right-handed hurler was wheeling and dealing with five strikeouts in as many scoreless innings before leaving the game in the sixth with a shoulder injury.
Fitts has since undergone an MRI on Sunday morning to reveal the extent of his injury, leading to the Red Sox announcing a pair of roster moves.
Red Sox Place Richard Fitts on 15-Day IL, Select Michael Fulmer's Contract
According to MassLive's Chris Cotillo, the Red Sox have officially placed Fitts on the 15-day injured list. The Helena, AL native could be back in Boston's rotation by the end of the month, assuming that he doesn't suffer any setbacks.
Cotillo is also reporting that the Red Sox have selected veteran hurler Michael Fulmer's Triple-A contract in a corresponding move. Since Boston has a 40-man roster spot open, another move isn't needed to make space for Fulmer.
Michael Fulmer is here and has been called up. Richard Fitts to the 15-day IL.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) April 13, 2025
A former New York Yankees sixth-round pick, Fitts was off to a strong start to the 2025 campaign. The former Auburn Tiger has pitched to a 3.18 ERA with 13 strikeouts across 17 innings in three starts so far, leaving time to tell if he can pick up from where he left off when he returns to the mound.
Meanwhile, all eyes will be on Fulmer before he makes his 2025 MLB debut.
Red Sox fans were sad to see the former All-Star righty left off the Opening Day roster after he pitched to a 0.79 ERA with 12 strikeouts across 11 1/3innings in spring training. He's since proved his doubters wrong, tallying a 3.09 ERA with an average of 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings in three appearances (2 starts) with Triple-A Worcester.
He's also pitched 674 innings in 262 appearances (90 starts) since the 2016 MLB season, giving him more than enough experience to round out the rotation while Fitts is out.
With the Red Sox's ever-growing IL situation already boasting the likes of Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello, and Kutter Crawford, the back of the rotation could use someone like Fulmer. Unless manager Alex Cora tinkers with the order, the former AL Rookie of the Year will likely make his Boston debut during the home series against the White Sox later this week.
For now, the Red Sox will remain focused on avoiding a sweep in their current series. Oddsmakers are optimistic that Cora's club can salvage the road trip, as FanDuel Sportsbook is currently favoring the Red Sox at -250 moneyline odds — an implied probability of 71.4% — ahead of Sunday's finale.
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