Nathan Eovaldi Pushes Bullpen Session Back Due to Biceps Soreness

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi hasn't taken the mound since April 17 due to his elbow surgery rehab. Reports are suggesting Eovaldi is close to returning, and the first step in his return would be hitting the bullpen to get back up to speed.

However, it doesn't appear he's as close to returning as some reports initially stated. He was scheduled for a bullpen session on Sunday, but it was canceled due to biceps soreness.

When Red Sox manager Alex Cora was asked about the delay on Eovaldi's bullpen session, he was able to clear up some of the speculation surrounding his recovery.

"In his last simulated game, mechanic-wise he went off," Cora said Sunday morning at Fenway Park. "Yesterday he had a little bit of soreness in his biceps. Biceps tendinitis. We'll make sure everything is fine with that. We'll take a look at the mechanics. And then make an adjustment from that."

Boston would love to see Eovaldi get back on the bump, but there's no sense in rushing him back and the Red Sox staff recognizes that.

Boston currently sits at 16th in the MLB in team ERA with a 4.38 mark. Eovaldi's insertion back into the rotation would certainly help that number improve. When fully healthy, he's a solid pitcher, he's just had trouble dealing with this nagging injury all season.

But nevertheless, Eovaldi should be able to return in time for Boston to go on a late-season run. They're currently six games back of first place in the AL East, trailing both the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees.

They'll need all the help they can get this summer in order to make a run at the division title.