The Boston Red Sox are placing Walker Buehler on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation, manager Alex Cora announced to reporters Friday. Buehler, who was slated to start Saturday against the Twins, will be replaced by Hunter Dobbins in the rotation.
On Thursday, Cora noted that Buehler still hadn’t bounced back from his weekend start in Cleveland and had returned to Boston for testing on his shoulder. The Red Sox are hopeful that Buehler will only require the minimum stint on the IL.
Buehler, who signed a one-year, $21.05 million contract in the offseason, is 4-1 with a 4.28 ERA through six starts (33 2/3 innings). His 1.218 WHIP is lower than last season (1.553), as are his hits per nine (8.6) and walks per nine (2.4), with a slight uptick in K/9 (7.8).
Dobbins, 25, is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts for Boston. The 2021 eighth-round pick also has a 6.39 ERA in 12 2/3 Triple-A innings. So far this season, the Red Sox have had to lean on Garrett Crochet, Tanner Houck and Buehler in the rotation, having just returned Lucas Giolito from the IL on Thursday. Brayan Bello, who opened the season on the IL, returned in mid-April and has made two starts.
In the interim, the team will get a boost in offense as catcher Connor Wong was reinstated from the 10-day IL on Friday.
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