Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz was surprisingly placed on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday after he checked into a Boston-area hospital with what manager Bobby Valentine termed a “gastrointestinal situation.”
A team source said the Red Sox aren’t sure what caused the illness, but added that Buchholz’ “stomach was all mixed up.” A Channel 7 report indicated that Buchholz is dealing with intestinal bleeding, possibly caused by taking too much ibuprofen, which can be fatal if not treated correctly.
This is another case of bad luck for a Sox team that has had to deal with a plethora of injuries all season long. It doesn’t help that Buchholz was also working on his best stretch of pitching all season long, and will now spend the next two weeks on the inactive list.
Aaron Cook will get the call-up and start in place of Buchholz on Sunday in the series finale against the Braves at Fenway. With Josh Beckett sidelined since last weekend with right shoulder inflammation and not eligible to be activated until Wednesday, the Red Sox only have five healthy starters to work with— Jon Lester, Franklin Morales, Cook, Felix Doubront and Daisuke Matsuzaka.
