NEW YORK (AP) — Tanner Houck was scratched from his scheduled start for the Boston Red Sox on Friday night against the New York Yankees due to right shoulder fatigue.
Rookie right-hander Richard Fitts replaced Houck on the mound at Yankee Stadium, making his second career start in a game with playoff implications for both teams.
The switch was made a little less than an hour before the first pitch.
The 28-year-old Houck, who earned his first All-Star selection this season, is 8-10 with a 3.24 ERA in 28 starts. He has thrown 169 2/3 innings — his previous career high was 106 last year.
Houck hasn’t pitched since Sept. 4 in New York against the Mets. He took the loss in that game, allowing four runs and five hits in five innings while throwing 84 pitches. His next turn was pushed back a few days because of soreness.
“He talked a little bit about it when he pitched against the Mets. He was very honest about it during the week,” Boston manager Alex Cora said Friday. “And like I told him, I said, ‘Don’t try to play superhero here. If you can go, you go. But if you feel something, let us know.’”
Cora, however, had expected Houck to be fine Friday night.
“The feedback in between innings is going to be important. He feels great. He played catch yesterday, felt loose, so he’ll be ready,” Cora said about two hours before the game.
Houck is 0-4 in nine starts since his most recent win July 11 against Oakland.
“He’s been able to post, going deep into the games,” Cora said. “He went through that bad stretch, the All-Star Game and right after that, but he’s been solid the last few weeks.”
Fitts was acquired from the Yankees last December in the trade that sent outfielder Alex Verdugo to New York — a rare deal between the longtime rivals.
The 24-year-old Fitts made his major league debut Sunday at Fenway Park, permitting two runs — none earned — and six hits over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Chicago White Sox. He struck out two, walked one and threw 44 of his 66 pitches for strikes.
Boston began the night 4 1/2 games behind Minnesota for the final AL wild card. New York had the best record in the American League at 85-62 and was two games ahead of second-place Baltimore in the AL East.
In other injury-related news, reliever Liam Hendriks said he still hopes to pitch for the Red Sox this season despite a small setback in his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery — but that will largely depend on whether they remain in the pennant race.
Hendriks will receive a cortisone injection in his right elbow Monday in Boston and then be shut down for about three days before he resumes throwing.
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