Boston Red Sox Lose Relief Pitcher Cam Booser to Injured List With Elbow Issue

Cam Booser suffered a disaster outing against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night, and now the Boston Red Sox have shelved the 32-year-old rookie reliever for the rest of the month.

Aug 13, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Cam Booser (71) is taken out of the game during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park. / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox have placed left-handed relief pitcher Cam Booser on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.

Booser took the mound against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night. He came in for Kutter Crawford with one out and the bases loaded in the top of the sixth, gave up a single and two walks, then got pulled in favor of Lucas Sims.

It marked Booser's third appearance since he was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 9. Across those three games, Booser posted a 6.00 ERA, 2.667 WHIP, .357 batting average against and 1.114 OPS against.

Boston recalled left-handed pitcher Brennan Bernardino from Triple-A Worcester to fill out their bullpen in Booser's absence. They also reinstated outfielder Jarren Duran from the suspended list – three days after he directed a homophobic slur at a fan – and optioned utility man Enmanuel Valdez to Triple-A.

The #RedSox today announced the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/ajB5nPCbgC

— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 14, 2024

Booser was first called up to the big league roster on April 19, and the then-31-year-old made his MLB debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates that night. He was sent back down to the minors three times over the next four months, but he continued to put up solid numbers whenever he was in the majors.

Between April 25 and Aug. 5, Booser went 2-2 with a 2.06 ERA, 1.029 WHIP, .217 batting average against, one save and five holds. On the whole this season, he is 2-2 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.238 WHIP, .242 batting average against, one save, six holds and a 1.0 WAR.

The 41 appearances Booser has made out of the bullpen this season rank third among Red Sox relievers. According to Baseball Savant, Booser ranks in the 99th percentile across all of MLB with a 35.9% chase percentage.

Booser has a long history of injuries, which is why it took him so long to reach the big leagues in the first place.

The southpaw suffered a broken femur and a broken vertebra back in high school, then underwent Tommy John surgery his freshman year at Oregon State. Once his minor league career began, Booser went through an elbow scope, labrum surgery, a broken bone in his back and a 50-game marijuana suspension.

That eventually led Booser to retire from baseball and become a carpenter in 2017. Four years later, he returned to the independent baseball scene and eventually worked his way back into the minors.

Taking all of that into account, it's hard not to worry about how serious Booser's elbow inflammation could be. That designation is sometimes a catch-all term for short-term pain, but it can also be a precursor to a UCL injury.

Booser will be eligible to return on Aug. 29, if he is healthy enough to pitch by then.

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