Boston Red Sox reliever Carson Smith is dealing with elbow soreness which landed him on the 15-day disabled list Friday.
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Smith Heading for Second DL Stint of Season
Friday, May 20
The Red Sox announced that Smith was placed on the DL and called up right-handed pitcher Noe Ramirez to replace him on the roster.
Smith returned to the roster on May 3 after initially being placed on the disabled list on April 3 with a right flexor muscle strain, but manager John Farrell recently revealed that another trip to the DL was possible due to issues with his recovery between appearances, according to ESPN.com’s Douglas Tucker.
Smith, 26, was a breakout performer for the Seattle Mariners in 2015, compiling a 2-5 record with a 2.31 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 92 strikeouts in 70 innings. Some thought that Carson might be the closer of the future in Seattle, but the team dealt him to Boston in the offseason.
Carson has appeared in just three games this season due to injury, and he has yet to surrender an earned run, while posting two strikeouts in 2.2 innings.
The Red Sox added Carson to be a late-innings setup man, with Craig Kimbrel entrenched in the closer role and Koji Uehara likely to handle the majority of the eighth-inning duties. For Boston, Carson and Junichi Tazawa are the optimal pair to handle the seventh inning or slide into the eighth on Uehara’s nights off.
That means Tazawa will undertake a heavier load with Carson again sidelined. It could also lead to an increased role for Robbie Ross, who has worked primarily against lefties as the team’s top southpaw reliever.
Nonetheless, the Red Sox have a solid bullpen, especially on the back end, so Carson’s latest injury shouldn’t be devastating. Still, Carson is a solid reliever and a major part of the team’s depth, so Boston will feel his absence.
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