BOSTON -- Though some eyebrows were raised when Joe Kelly admitted he was a little sore in the days leading up to his abbreviated start on Tuesday and again in pregame warmups, manager John Farrell didn't have any issue with the communication -- or lack thereof -- he had from the pitcher. Kelly threw just 23 pitches against the Rays and was officially placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday with an impingement in his right shoulder.
"I can't fault him for wanting to get to the mound. If he doesn't take the ball, then we're chastising him for not being tough," Farrell said. "So here's a guy that might have been a little sore coming out of his last start, but he was making progress and felt like he was in a safe zone to make his start, and unfortunately he didn't get through it. Thankfully based on the MRI this afternoon it reveals the impingement and there's no changes to the structure of the MRI that was taken last September."
It's still too early for the Red Sox to know how long Kelly will be sidelined.
"We've got to let it quiet down and then get a better gauge once he gets back to the strength testing that he'll go through," said Farrell. "Keep in mind he went through strength testing -- as all of our starters do -- in between starts and passed that. That's where it's unfortunate he wasn't able to get through it last night, and we're having to make the roster changes as a result."
Farrell was asked if it is alarming Kelly has had shoulder issues twice within the last seven months.
"He got through Spring Training without issue. When this pops up, we have strength testing as a potential predictor, but at some point you can't fully predict it's going to be today, so I can't sit here today and say it's going to be a change of role for Joe," said Farrell. "We've got to get him healthy first and foremost and proceed from there."
To take Kelly's spot on the roster, the Red Sox recalled right-hander Noe Ramirez from Triple-A Pawtucket. Ramirez had been sent down on Tuesday as a corresponding roster move to Heath Hembree being called up. Righty William Cuevas was selected to the roster to serve as an emergency pitcher after the bullpen was forced to go 9 1/3 innings on Tuesday. Utility infielder Marco Hernandez was optioned to Pawtucket.