The job just got a lot harder for Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy.
Boston ace Garrett Crochet was placed on the 15-day IL on Wednesday with left shoulder inflammation.
It comes after Crochet had a disappointing start to the season with a 6.30 ERA after six starts, though those numbers are inflated by one disastrous start against the Twins in which he gave up 10 runs in 1 ⅔ innings.
The move, which was retroactive to April 26, only adds to the Red Sox’s worries with the team off to a 12-18 start that led to the firing of manager Alex Cora on Saturday.
Cora’s firing came after the Red Sox’s 17-1 win over the Orioles in which the 26-year-old Crochet threw six shutout innings.
Crochet told reporters in Toronto on Wednesday that he is “pretty confident” he’ll return when eligible to come off the IL in a couple of weeks, according to MassLive.com.
“Just some fatigue I was feeling in my last start,” Crochet, who emerged as a dominant No. 1 starter for Boston last season, said. “Was able to grind through it there at the end. It just makes more sense to get ahead of it now so I’m not playing catch-up the rest of the season.
“It’s tough. Talked to Bres (Craig Breslow) and Brandon (head athletic trainer Brandon Henry) yesterday about trying to push through and ultimately, what good is that doing for the team if I’m just kicking the can down the road?”
A source told MassLive that Crochet is “trending better on a daily basis” and confirmed the move was made out of caution.
Crochet blamed issues with his spring training buildup as the reason behind the discomfort.
“At the end of the day, I feel like it was something that was preventable,” he said. “During the buildup, I just lost strength and never really got it back.”
The Red Sox called up utility man Nate Eaton from Triple-A to take Crochet’s place on the roster. However, that may only be a temporary situation with Boston in need of another starting pitcher.
The Red Sox are expected to call up Jake Bennett to make his major league debut against the Astros on Friday night.
Sonny Gray, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Cardinals, is also on the IL with hamstring tightness. Veteran starters Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval are dealing with long-term injuries with no return date in sight.
Tracy has won two of his three games since taking over for Cora.
