Red Sox Manager Ron Roenicke Names Potential Back-End Rotation Options After Chris Sale Injury

In some of the worst news the Boston Red Sox could have received, staff ace Chris Sale will now be out of the rotation for a long, long time after it was revealed that he would undergo Tommy John surgery. The team must now find additional pitchers who can step up and eat up innings in his place, which is no small task.

With that in mind, Red Sox interim manager Ron Roenicke said Thursday that he's looking at a couple of names to help fill the void, including Brian Johnson and Ryan Weber.

Boston will be confident in rolling out Eduardo Rodriguez, with Nathan Eovaldi, Martin Perez, and newcomer Collin McHugh expected to step up as well. After that group, however, it's admittedly less of a sure thing.

With Sale's UCL in his throwing elbow needing repair, Weber and Johnson each have a huge opportunity in store. It's up to them to seize it.

Ryan Weber played in 18 games for the Red Sox last season, putting up a 5.09 ERA in 40 innings pitched. Brian Johnson appeared in 21 games with a 6.02 ERA, also notching 40 innings.

The Red Sox are waiting on McHugh to be an impact player, as he's possibly the closest they have to a sure thing as a steady starter after Rodriguez, but he hasn't pitched in around six months. He was diagnosed with a strained flexor tendon, and underwent surgery for it in December.

Even more unfortunate, with the delayed season, the Red Sox won't have a Spring Training to get a handle on what their pitching rotation will look like. Figuring it out on the fly would make for a rough opening month for Boston baseball, whenever that may be.