McAdam: Rotation injuries catching up to Red Sox

For a few minutes, as the bases filled, the excitement ratcheted up, and then, Xander Bogaerts connected on the ultimate walkoff hit -- a grand slam which cleared the bases and sent Fenway into delirium -- it was easy, inviting even, to ignore what had taken place just four innings earlier.

The euphoria of the 6-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays -- forged first on a ninth-inning rally, which saw Bogaerts double and score the tying run -- was enough to temporarily forget the more sobering development that had taken place just beyond the first base bag.

It was there that starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, intent on avoiding a collision with Blue Jays infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr., hopped and landed awkwardly on his right ankle, then, after crumbling in a heap, had Gurriel roll over the leg, too. Initially, the fear was that Rodriguez had suffered an injury to his right knee, the source of chronic trouble over the previous three seasons, resulting, finally, in surgery last fall which had, in turn, slowed his preparation this spring.

Rodriguez attempted a warmup pitch or two before it was decided to remove him from the game. He walked gingerly off the mound and the team soon announced that he had, indeed, suffered a right ankle sprain, though x-rays detected no breaks. He'll continue to be evaluated Sunday.

"I think there's a lot (of concern) from me,'' said Bogaerts, the day's hero. "He's a big guy, man, and to see him go down...Covering first base is not the best thing for him. I went down and I went over there right away. He's one of my closest buddies on the team. To see him go down and go out of the game, it was a little bit worrying.''

In one sense, the timing isn't bad for Rodriguez and the Red Sox. Following Sunday's series finale with the Blue Jays, the Red Sox will enter the All-Star break and Rodriguez will get four days to rest up. He'd been slotted into the fifth spot in the rotation, meaning he's not scheduled to pitch until July 24 in Baltimore, a week from Tuesday.

Still, there's no assurance that Rodriguez won't need a DL stint first. Ankle sprains are tricky for pitchers, especially for the landing foot. If Rodriguez doesn't completely trust the ankle which supports his frame as he completes his delivery, it could throw him off mechanically and lead to other issues.

Worse, the injury comes at a time when the Red Sox' rotation depth is already being tested. Brian Johnson (hip) will come off the DL Sunday to make his first start since July 3 in Washington.

Further, two other starters remain out of the rotation, working through either physical or mechanical issues. Steven Wright (knee) is enduring some soreness and inflammation, and while he's thrown some on flat ground, isn't yet ready to throw off a mound yet. He received a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection almost two weeks ago. His return is not near.

"It's taking longer than expected,'' acknowledged Alex Cora of his knuckleballer's return to health.

Drew Pomeranz, who's been on the DL with biceps tendinitis since June 5, and while he's physically recovered from that setback, has been ineffective in three rehab assignment starts for Pawtucket, the latest of which took place Friday and saw him knocked around for three runs on four hits in just 3.2 innings.

"Velocity is not up,'' said Cora. "It's been 89-90, I think (and he's been) inconsistent with the breaking stuff. It's very important for him to find (his delivery). Important for us, obviously. He knows he needs to get it right before he gets here.''

Injury concern aside, Pomeranz hasn't been right all season, and as far back as late May, was confident that he had discovered the solution to his mechanical woes. Two months later, he has yet to find it.

That means the Red Sox rotation currently consists of Chris Sale, David Price, and Rick Porcello, the latter of whom has racked up an ERA of 5.38 since May 9. Then there's Johnson and tag-team swingman Hector Velazquez.

At this point, there are as many starters with physical and or performance issues (Pomeranz, Wright and Rodriguez) as there established starters.

Before the game, Cora professed to be satisfied with his starting pitching depth, citing how reliable and versatile Johnson and Velazquez have been in contributing spot starts. To be sure, the Sox are 6-0 in games started by that duo.

But that was before the mishap with Rodriguez, further thinning the rotation.

The Sox had already targeted the bullpen as their major area for improvement with the deadline looming. But if they determine they need reinforcements for the rotation, their already shallow pool of tradeable assets may not be enough to fix both problems.