Nathan Eovaldi was supposed to throw a bullpen session this weekend. However, it doesn't appear that will happen.
On Saturday, Alex Cora confirmed that the Boston Red Sox would be putting Eovaldi's rehab on hold, per Jason Mastrodonato of The Boston Herald.
Eovaldi hasn't pitched since April 17 after dealing with "loose bodies" in his elbow. So far this year, he has a 0-0 record with a 6.00 ERA.
The Red Sox have missed Eovaldi's presence in the back end of the rotation, as they have had to rely on a committee approach to the fifth starter spot. Brian Johnson, the normal swing arm in the bullpen, has been on the IL since early April, so a combination of Hector Velazquez, Ryan Weber, and Josh Smith has handled most of the starting duties in that time. The results have been mixed at best, and Smith earned the loss in yesterday's doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays.
It's unclear how big of a setback this may be for Eovaldi, but the update is discouraging as the Red Sox will likely need another spot starter at the least in the upcoming week. Ian Browne of MLB.com is reporting that top pitching prospect Darwinzon Hernandez could start on Tuesday, so we'll keep an eye on that.
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