Red Sox rookie starter tears ACL in his knee, will miss rest of season

BOSTON — When Red Sox starter Hunter Dobbins came up hobbled after covering first base in the second inning of Friday’s game, it wasn’t immediately clear whether he’d need to leave the game. He did — and now he’s out for the season and possibly beyond.

An MRI late Friday revealed structural damage to Dobbins’ right knee and the injury is a significant one, multiple sources said Saturday morning. The Red Sox announced that Dobbins has torn the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in his right knee. He is almost certainly out for the season. Righty Richard Fitts was called up to take his place.

Dobbins’ recovery may require him to miss part of 2026, too. He said he tore the same ACL in a high school football game years ago.

“Yeah, tough,” said manager Alex Cora. “He put himself on the map. He did a good job for us. When it happened, I thought something minor. But talking to him, he felt it right away. He’s been through that before.

“Whenever he has surgery, he has surgery. He’ll attack the rehab the right way and be ready when he’s ready. Not cutting corners on the rehab is the most important thing. We know we have a good one. He’s a good big league pitcher and whenever he comes back he’s gonna help us.”

The setback is a brutal one for Dobbins, who has been a rookie standout in the Sox’ rotation so far this season. Dobbins didn’t make the Opening Day roster and found himself down the rotation depth chart to start the season before making his big league debut on April 8. Since, he has emerged as a young bright spot in Boston’s starting five, posting a 4.10 ERA and striking out 45 batters in 61 innings over 12 appearances (10 starts). His start Friday was his first since June 20, as he spent the better part of three weeks on the injured list with an elbow strain.

With one out in the second inning Friday, Dobbins hurt himself covering first base after Rays speedster Chandler Simpson hit a grounder to first baseman Abraham Toro behind the base. Dobbins rushed over to try to cover first and hit the bag hard. He began limping as manager Alex Cora and head athletic trainer Brandon Henry rushed onto the field. Dobbins tried to stay in the game and even attempted a warm-up pitch, but his leg buckled on that throw and he was immediately pulled.

With Dobbins out, the Red Sox are down an arm they planned to depend on throughout the second half of the season. They won’t need to replace Dobbins before the All-Star break, which starts Monday, but will need a starter for one of their games in Philadelphia between July 21-23. Fitts, who is back on the roster after being optioned earlier in the week, should be available out of the bullpen over the next two days against Tampa Bay. He’s the leading candidate to take Dobbins’ rotation spot. Tanner Houck (who is nearing his return from a flexor pronator strain in his pitching arm) and lefty Kyle Harrison (who has struggled at Triple-A since coming over in the Rafael Devers trade) represent other depth options.

The Dobbins injury also increases the need for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow to add a rotation arm ahead of the July 31 trade deadline with the Red Sox aiming to buy after an eight-game winning streak propelled them into playoff position.

“I think if we’re going to boost the rotation, trying to find impact starting pitching, not just, starting pitching that can take a spot in the rotation,” Breslow said Friday, before Dobbins’ injury. “We do feel really good about the depth that we have.”