Boston right-hander Nathan Eovaldi has been placed on the 10-day injured list because of an issue with his right elbow, the Red Sox announced Saturday.
The Red Sox said Eovaldi has "a loose body in his right elbow." Left-hander Bobby Poyner was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket to fill Eovaldi's roster spot.
The Boston Globe reported that Eovaldi will see Dr. Chris Ahmad on Monday, but is leaning toward having minor elbow surgery because he "feels like he can return quickly."
Eovaldi is 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA in four starts this season.
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Eovaldi, 29, is no stranger to elbow issues. He has had Tommy John surgery twice, the first time when he was in high school. He missed the 2017 season after having the surgery in 2016 while with the Yankees.
Eovaldi has pitched for five teams since breaking into the majors in 2011 with the Dodgers. He joined the Red Sox last July in a trade with the Rays and helped the Red Sox to their fourth World Series championship since 2004. Eovaldi was 2-1 with a 1.61 ERA in the postseason, his only loss coming in the Red Sox's epic 18-inning 3-2 defeat to the Dodgers in Game 3.
During the offseason, Eovaldi re-signed with the Red Sox for four years and a reported $67.5 million.
Poyner, 26, was 1-0 with a 3.22 ERA in 20 relief appearances for the Red Sox in 2018. In five games for Pawtucket this season, Poyner is 0-0 with a 4.26 ERA in 6 1/3 innings.