BOSTON — The Red Sox’ list of medical problems seems to be growing.
Left-hander Drew Pomeranz was the latest to go to the disabled list on Tuesday, with left biceps tendinitis. Righty Brandon Workman was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket in his place. Pomeranz’s next start was slated for Thursday and manager Alex Cora said after the 6-0 victory over the Tigers that Pawtucket lefty Jalen Beeks (3-3, 2.56 ERA in 10 Triple-A starts) will be called up to make that start in his major league debut.
MORE RED SOX
Steven Wright, who started Tuesday night for the first time in 2018, is to stay in the rotation in the meantime. Wright was initially intended to be just a spot starter. Now, with Pomeranz out, Wright, who pitched seven scoreless innings, enters the rotation.
Although Pomeranz’s velocity has been down all year (he's 1-3 with a 6.81 ERA in eight starts), Cora said the injury was a new development.
“It happened after this one, this last one,” Cora said of Pomeranz’s most recent start, Thursday in Houston. “Hopefully, it’s something that he’ll come back right away...We had our plan already set up with the guys, pushing them back, and we feel they need that for them to catch a breather. No way we were going to move them up after their mind was set to have their off days and go through their preparation that way.”
Boston Red Sox
Find the latest Boston Red Sox news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Dustin Pedroia was on his way back from New York on Tuesday, where he visited with his surgeon, which "went well," a source said, vaguely but optimistically.
MORE SOX
Mookie Betts, who’s on the 10-day disabled list along with Pedroia, took swings off a tee on Tuesday. Asked if the Sox considered telling Betts not to swing for a longer period of time, Cora indicated a couple days seemed enough.
"He didn’t swing on Sunday, he didn’t swing yesterday,” Cora said. “Today is kind of like tee [work and] that’s it. And he was feeling OK doing the tee work. No, there was not a thought going five days or six. Not swinging Sunday, not swinging yesterday, today just like an easy day for him, should be OK. He feels a lot better.
“I asked him Sunday, [he was] like, ‘Oh I feel great.’ Like, OK, cool, that sounds good...You got to trust him. This is the third time this season, I know the area’s a little bit different [with an abdominal strain], but he’s pretty honest about how he feels physically.”
In the reliever category, there’s still no update on how Carson Smith wants to proceed following this right shoulder subluxation.
MORE DRELLICH
Tyler Thornburg was granted a new 30-day minor league rehab assignment after the first one on his way back from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery resulted in right shoulder tendinitis. Thornburg is with Pawtucket.
Austin Maddox, meanwhile, has been recalled from his minor league rehab assignment because of shoulder inflammation. A shoulder injury had Maddox on the DL in the first place.