Tanner Houck was removed from his scheduled start for the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees on Friday night due to fatigue in his right shoulder.
Rookie right-hander Richard Fitts took over for Houck at Yankee Stadium, making his second career start in a game with playoff stakes for both teams.
The change was announced less than an hour before the game began. Boston manager Alex Cora informed Fitts of the start towards the end of batting practice.
Fitts retired his first two batters but then walked three consecutive hitters, loading the bases. He fell behind 3-0 against Jazz Chisholm Jr., but Chisholm eventually flied out to center field.
After that, Fitts settled down. He pitched five scoreless innings, giving up two hits, three walks, and striking out two. He threw 56 of his 90 pitches for strikes, and Cora patted Fitts on the head in the dugout when his outing ended.
Despite Fitts’ solid performance, Boston’s bullpen gave up a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning, and the Yankees won 5-4 on Aaron Judge’s go-ahead grand slam, ending his longest home run drought of the season at 16 games.
“It was a pretty unreal night. I was excited to be here,” said Fitts, who was traded from the Yankees in December. “It was a quick turnaround to find out when I was starting, but I welcome the challenge. I was expecting to pitch today, and getting the start at Yankee Stadium is pretty cool. I’m just trying to do whatever I can to help the team win.”
Houck, who made his first All-Star appearance this season, is 8-10 with a 3.24 ERA in 28 starts. He has pitched 169 2/3 innings this year, surpassing his previous career high of 106 innings from last season.
“This guy is really important for us, both now and for the future, and if he had pitched the way he was, we would have faced consequences,” Cora said. “So we’ll just take care of him over the next few days and see how things are when we get to Tampa.”
Houck hasn’t pitched since September 4 in New York against the Mets. He took the loss in that game, giving up four runs and five hits in five innings while throwing 84 pitches. His next scheduled start was delayed a few days due to soreness.
“Tanner’s OK. When he arrived, he was on the table, and (head athletic trainer Brandon Henry) was working on him. He felt a bit tight,” Cora said. “After testing, the shoulder is weaker than yesterday. So it doesn’t make sense for him to pitch.”
“We don’t think this will take longer. Brandon was very proactive today,” Cora added.
Earlier that day, Cora had expected Houck to be fine.
“The feedback between innings is crucial. He felt great. He played catch yesterday and felt loose, so he should be ready,” Cora said about two hours before the game.
However, he also told Houck not to “try to be a superhero.” “‘If you can go, go. But if you feel something, let us know,’” Cora recalled telling Houck.
Houck is 0-4 in nine starts since his last win on July 11 against Oakland.
“He’s been able to pitch deep into games,” Cora said. “He went through a rough patch, including the All-Star Game and right after it, but he’s been solid the past few weeks.”
Fitts was acquired from the Yankees last December in the trade that sent outfielder Alex Verdugo to New York — a rare trade between the longtime rivals.
The 24-year-old Fitts made his major league debut on Sunday at Fenway Park, allowing two runs — none earned — and six hits over 5 2/3 innings in a game against the Chicago White Sox where he didn’t get a decision. He struck out two, walked one, and threw 44 of his 66 pitches for strikes.
Boston (74-74) is 4 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the last AL wild card spot. New York has the top record in the American League at 86-62 and is three games ahead of second-place Baltimore in the AL East.
In other injury news, reliever Liam Hendriks said he still hopes to pitch for the Red Sox this season despite a minor setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery — but this will depend on whether the team stays in the playoff race.
Hendriks will get a cortisone injection in his right elbow on Monday in Boston and then will be rested for about three days before starting to throw again.
