Important Red Sox Pitcher Placed On Injured List With Nerve-Wracking Injury

Boston received some bad news about one of its top pitchers Tuesday

Apr 1, 2016; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; MLB logo on the on-deck circle during the game between the / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox could use some more depth for the starting rotation.

Boston's rotation surprisingly has been the club's biggest strength so far this season. The Red Sox are 7-3 so far this season and four of the club's five starters currently have an ERA under 1.00 after great starts.

Fiery fan favorite Nick Pivetta has been fantastic so far this season for Boston and has a 0.82 ERA and 13-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio through two starts, but the club will be without his services for a little bit as he was placed on the Injured List on Tuesday, according to the club.

The Red Sox today placed (right-handed pitcher) Nick Pivetta on the 15-Day Injured List, retroactive to April 6, with a right elbow flexor strain," the club said. "To fill Pivetta’s spot on the active roster, the club recalled (left-handed pitcher) Brennan Bernardino from Triple-A Worcester."

It's unclear at this point how long Pivetta will be out, but any injury involving an elbow certainly is nerve-wracking. There already has been a plethora of serious injuries to pitchers this season -- including to fellow Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito.

Until we receive more information about the injury itself, there will be a real fear that it could be a long-term ailment. There's always a chance that Pivetta is only out for a short time, but a flexor strain also could be a sign of worse things to come. More imaging will need to be done, but losing Pivetta would be extremely disappointing.

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