BOSTON — Instead of heading to the rotation or the bullpen, Aaron Cook is bound for the disabled list.
The Red Sox made the announcement Sunday. A day after Cook suffered a gash on his leg that required 11 stitches on a play at the plate, Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine explained the two-fold reasoning behind the move.
"One, that we need a little help in the bullpen, obviously, so Aaron understands that," Valentine said. "Two, he has 11 stitches, and I can't try to have him pitch. He's had shoulder problems in the past. If the stitches come out, there could be infections. It's the only thing we can do at this time, I think. He'd like to pitch. But it's not going to happen."
In the 8-2 loss against the Orioles on Sunday, Cook lasted 2 2/3 innings in his Red Sox debut, allowing six earned runs. Five of those runs occurred after Cook's collision with Orioles first baseman Chris Davis.
Valentine said a rehab stint for Cook in Pawtucket could be possible, but it depends on how the stitches limit the 33-year-old. In the meantime, the Red Sox recalled Andrew Miller to fill the void.
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