The Boston Red Sox received another unwelcome update on their pitching depth Thursday when left-hander Eduardo Rivera was placed on the seven-day injured list at Triple-A Worcester with lower back inflammation.
The move, first reported by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, arrives at a moment when the organization continues to monitor several arms working their way back into form.
Rivera, a 6-foot-7 southpaw from San Juan, Puerto Rico, has followed a winding path to the majors. Originally selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 11th round of the 2021 draft, he was later released and signed with the Red Sox as a minor-league free agent in June 2024.
The hard-throwing lefty began the 2026 season at Double-A Portland before earning a quick promotion to Worcester on April 21. Boston selected his contract the following day, and he made an encouraging big-league debut against the New York Yankees on April 22, delivering 3⅓ scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
That early promise has not fully translated. Across four major-league appearances—three of them starts—Rivera is 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA in 10 innings.
His most recent outing came July 22 against the Baltimore Orioles, when he recorded only two outs while allowing four earned runs. The club optioned him back to Worcester that same night. Earlier this year he also represented Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, posting a 4.05 ERA over two games.
Despite the uneven major-league results, Rivera has been highly effective in the minors. Between Portland and Worcester he owns a 7-2 record, a 2.44 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and 62 strikeouts in 48 innings. At 23 years old, he remains one of the organization’s more intriguing left-handed options.
A clean recovery from the back issue and a strong finish at Worcester could put him back in the conversation for a September call-up, though the crowded big-league rotation may once again point him toward a bullpen role.
In a corresponding roster move, right-hander Patrick Halligan was activated at Worcester after pitching at Double-A Portland.
The 6-foot-6, 230-pound Halligan, a 13th-round pick of the Kansas City Royals in 2021 who later spent time in the Atlanta and Houston systems, signed a minor-league deal with Boston in January. His return helps maintain organizational depth while Rivera begins his recovery.
No timetable beyond the minimum seven-day stay has been announced.
For a pitcher still building his major-league case, the pause is inconvenient but not necessarily defining. Rivera’s combination of size, velocity and recent minor-league success keeps him firmly on the radar.
