Bill Koch

Friday

Sep 11, 2020 at 6:32 PM


Nathan Eovaldi will come off the injured list on Saturday.


The right-hander will make his next start against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Eovaldi has been battling a right calf strain and hasn’t appeared since Aug. 20.


"He played catch about 15 minutes ago and it went well again," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. "Because of that we feel really comfortable with him starting tomorrow."


Eovaldi’s most recent bullpen session came on Wednesday’s [...]

Nathan Eovaldi will come off the injured list on Saturday.


The right-hander will make his next start against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Eovaldi has been battling a right calf strain and hasn’t appeared since Aug. 20.


"He played catch about 15 minutes ago and it went well again," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. "Because of that we feel really comfortable with him starting tomorrow."


Eovaldi’s most recent bullpen session came on Wednesday’s scheduled off day in Philadelphia. His last outing covered a strong seven innings in a 7-1 victory over the Orioles. Eovaldi felt pain in his calf while playing long toss two days later at Camden Yards and was eventually shut down.


"We won’t go deep with him, but he’ll start the game," Roenicke said. "We’ll see how efficient he is with his pitches and how long we can keep him out there."


It’s the fifth IL stint for Eovaldi in as many years and his second with Boston. Arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow limited Eovaldi to just 12 starts and 23 appearances in 2019. Eovaldi’s previous four times on the IL were related to elbow problems, including Tommy John surgery that cost him the entire 2017 season.


Andrew Triggs started for the Red Sox on Friday night and Martin Perez is scheduled to make his next start on Sunday. Saturday’s open date originally appeared to be a spot for Tanner Houck to make his debut. The Red Sox prospect is with the taxi squad on the road trip and would be on regular rest after throwing at the alternate site in Pawtucket on Monday.


bkoch@providencejournal.com


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On Twitter: @BillKoch25