As expected, the Red Sox placed Clay Buchholz on the disabled list this afternoon and announced plans to call up left-hander Felix Doubront to start tomorrow night against the Rays.
That means Buchholz won’t be available to pitch in the All-Star game, but because the DL stint is retroactive to June 27 the Red Sox are hoping he’ll be ready to pitch one of the first few games following the break.
Presumably the AL will add another starting pitcher to the roster as his replacement, with Francisco Liriano, Jered Weaver, Andy Pettitte, and Felix Hernandez standing out as the obvious choices.
Doubront won his big-league debut last month against the Dodgers, but didn’t actually pitch particularly well and the 22-year-old southpaw has posted mediocre strikeout-to-walk ratios despite impressive-looking ERAs in the minors.
UPDATE: Sure enough, Andy Pettitte has been tabbed to replace Buchholz on the All-Star roster.
Phils’ Hoskins tears knee, expected to miss significant time
Dave Nelson/USA TODAY Sports
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins needs surgery for a torn ACL after injuring his left knee Thursday fielding a grounder in a spring training game and is expected to miss a significant amount of time.
The Phillies did not say when Hoskins would have the surgery or exactly how long the slugging first baseman might be sidelined.
Hoskins hit 30 homers with 79 RBIs last season for the reigning National League champions.
He was backing up to play a chopper on Thursday when the ball popped out of his glove. Sooner after, he fell to the ground and began clutching his left knee. Teammates gathered around him before he was taken off of the field.
Hoskins, a free agent at the end of the season who turned 30 last week, hit six homers in Philadelphia’s playoff run last season. The Phillies lost to the Houston Astros in the World Series.
The injury was another blow for the Phillies, who will be without top pitching prospect Andrew Painter for another few weeks because of a sprained ligament in his right elbow. And slugger Bryce Harper isn’t expected back until around the All-Star break after undergoing Tommy John surgery in November.