Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodríguez has COVID-19

Eduardo Rodríguez COVID-19
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Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodríguez has COVID-19, the team reported today. Manager Ron Roenicke says Rodríguez is “not feeling 100 percent.”

With Chris Sale having undergone Tommy John surgery and David Price being traded to the Dodgers, Rodríguez, 27, was penciled in as the Red Sox’ number one starter for 2020. He certainly earned that in 2019, going 19-6 with a 3.81 ERA and 213 strikeouts in 203.1 innings pitched. He was also in The Best Shape of His Life.

Now that Rodríguez has COVID-19, however, it’s unclear if he’ll be able to start the year on the club. The Sox have, as far as can be told from workout patterns anyway, set up their rotation to start with Nathan Eovaldi followed by Martín Pérez and Ryan Weber. Who the fourth or fifth starter would be is unclear.


 

MLB homer leader Pete Alonso to IL with bone bruise, sprain in wrist

pete alonso
Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports
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PITTSBURGH — The New York Mets will have to dig out of an early-season hole without star first baseman Pete Alonso.

The leading home run hitter in the majors will miss three-to-four weeks with a bone bruise and a sprain in his left wrist.

The Mets placed Alonso on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to June 8. Alonso was hit in the wrist by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning of a 7-5 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.

Alonso traveled to New York for testing on Thursday. X-rays revealed no broken bones, but the Mets will be missing one of the premier power hitters in the game as they try to work their way back into contention in the NL East.

“We got better news than it could have been,” New York manager Buck Showalter said. “So we take that as a positive. It could have been worse.”

New York had lost six straight heading into a three-game series at Pittsburgh that began Friday. Mark Canha started at first for the Mets in the opener. Mark Vientos could also be an option, though Showalter said the coaching staff may have to use its “imagination” in thinking of ways to get by without Alonso.

“I’m not going to say someone has to step up and all that stuff,” Showalter said. “You’ve just got to be who you are.”

Even with Alonso in the lineup, the Mets have struggled to score consistently. New York is 16th in the majors in runs scored.

The team also said Friday that reliever Edwin Uceta had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Uceta initially went on the IL in April with what the team called a sprained left ankle. He is expected to be out for at least an additional eight weeks.

New York recalled infielder Luis Guillorme and left-handed reliever Zach Muckenhirn from Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets sent catcher Tomás Nido to Triple-A and designated reliever Stephen Nogosek for assignment.

Nogosek is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 13 games this season.