The 2020 Boston Red Sox were dealt another blow to their already thin experienced pitching staff on Saturday. Boston Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom announced that left hander Eduardo Rodriguez has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2020 season due to complications from the coronavirus.
With Chris Sale already out this season after Tommy John surgery, this definitely will be a hard pill to swallow for this years version of the Red Sox. Rodriguez tested positive for the virus before summer camp, but then was cleared to return to workouts on July 18. However, an MRI showed the pitcher had a condition called myocarditis and was ordered to be shut down for at least a week. He has been restricted from all baseball activities since July 23. Despite not having another positive test since the first one, Bloom and the team decided it was best to shut him down this season. Myocarditis is a disease that is shown in 10-20% of patients who have had COVID-19, and can lead to more serious issues leading up to heart failure and death.
Rodriguez has racked up 32 wins for Boston on the mound over the past two seasons, including his best year in 2019 when he went 19-6 with a 3.82 earned run average. He has pitched all five years with the Sox and is 51-31 in his career with a 4.03 ERA.
