Brian Johnson’s return to the Boston Red Sox no longer seems imminent.
Johnson was placed on the minor league disabled list Monday after feeling discomfort in his pitching elbow. The left-hander threw just 60 pitches over four innings Sunday for Triple-A Pawtucket.
It’s unclear how long Johnson will be sidelined, but his seven-day DL stint obviously throws a wrench into the possibility of him rejoining the Red Sox’s major league rotation as early as this weekend against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. The 24-year-old is dealing with inflammation in the ulnar nerve area of his left elbow, according to Red Sox manager John Farrell.
“I don’t know how long of a shutdown he’ll go through,” Farrell said before Tuesday night’s game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. “But obviously, the elbow situation flared up on him and he’s on the DL at Pawtucket.”
Information is limited at this point, but the Red Sox certainly don’t want to take any chances with Johnson, who made his major league debut July 21 against the Houston Astros. He’s considered one the organization’s top pitching prospects — along with Eduardo Rodriguez (in Boston’s rotation) and Henry Owens (debuts Tuesday) — and Farrell indicated before the injury he’d rejoin the Red Sox this season.
“So whether or not the ligament is completely uninvolved, I don’t have the specifics of that,” Farrell said Tuesday of the injury.
Johnson, a first-round sandwich pick (31st overall) in 2012, owns a 9-6 record and a 2.53 ERA in 18 starts with Pawtucket this season. He was named an International League All-Star.
Thumbnail photo via Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports Images
