When the avalanche of injuries to some of their brightest pitching prospects began earlier this season, the Red Sox knew that would pay a price.
First came the loss of Bryan Mata, who underwent Tommy John surgery after experiencing elbow soreness in spring training. Next came less serious setbacks for both Tanner Houck and Connor Seabold, with the former experiencing soreness in his flexor tendon and latter battling elbow inflammation. Neither required a surgical procedure, but each was forced to start from scratch with throwing programs, taking them of circulation for several months.
More recently came news that Thaddeus Ward was diagnosed with a UCL tear, also requiring Tommy John surgery.
Together, the four represented arguably the best starting pitching prospects at the organization's upper levels. Two are done for the year, and part of next season, too. Houck and Seabold are in the midst of recovery, but neither has pitched in a game since first being diagnosed.
The pitchers not only are losing valuable development time, but their extended absences have compromised the Red Sox' internal depth. Even now, without Houck and Seabold available, the best starting pitching options are either minor league veterans like Reynel Espinal or a journeyman like Daniel Gossett.
It was expected that the collective loss of starter options down below would impact the major league team later in the season, in perhaps July or August, when the innings have piled up and the wear-and-tear of the long season would take its toll on the parent club's rotation.
Instead, the fact that the team's five starting pitchers -- Nathan Eovaldi, Eduardo Rodriguez, Garrett Richards, Nick Pivetta and Martin Perez -- have made all but two of the team's first 66 starts, coupled with a demanding stretch of the schedule (17 days in a row against teams which qualified for last year's postseason) have together created a crisis earlier than expected.
"That was part of our depth (plan), right?'' said Alex Cora prior to the homestand finale. "Those guys are very capable. Coming into the season, that was the strong suit of our pitching staff -- having the five guys here, plus the other capable guys and obviously, thinking about Chris (Sale) later on. There's big league teams that got hit (by injuries) at the big league level; we got hit at our minor league level.
"You saw what we did earlier with Tanner. He was very important to what we're trying to do and we haven't had that luxury. I don't think fatigue (for the major league starters) is part of the equation. But, at the same time, coming into the season, we had a plan.''
That plan, particularly in response to the shortened schedule of a year ago, was to inject spot starts from time to time to provide additional rest for the five starters. Instead, Boston's starters have been taking the ball every five days, without a breather -- except those provided by off-days on the schedule.
"Giving these guys a breather was part of that plan,'' acknowledged Cora. "But we don't have that luxury right now.''
Seabold's return to game action is perhaps a month away. He's currently on a throwing program at the Red Sox' extended spring training program in Fort Myers. But even when he's fully cleared game action, he has yet to pitch a single inning above Double-A. Had he begun the year healthy, he would have had five weeks worth of starts as part of his foundation. That's not the case now.
Houck is considerably closer to a return to the mound. He's thrown a number of bullpens in recent weeks and is close to throwing to hitters. But a best-case scenario suggests he's still a few weeks away from actual competition.
In the meantime, all the Red Sox can do is plow ahead.
"The only actual 'extra starter' that we can have right now,'' admitted Cora, "is Thursday and Monday -- the (upcoming) off-days -- and we'll take advantage of those.''