Red Sox Lose Veteran Reliever for Entire 2026 Season

The Boston Red Sox have had some tough luck from a non-roster invitee standpoint throughout Spring Training.

Two different non-roster invitees have undergone surgery to this point. Tim Healey of The Boston Globe shared that 35-year-old veteran reliever Vinny Nittoli underwent season-ending elbow surgery last week. On the bright side, Healey noted that Nittoli plans to play in 2027 and avoided Tommy John surgery in the process.

"Vinny Nittoli, a 35-year-old veteran of 15 major league games, had season-ending elbow surgery last week — and fully intends on returning to pitch in 2027, he said," Healey wrote. "He was in Sox camp on a minor league contract but needed an internal brace procedure in his right elbow. He is out 8-10 months and hopes to pitch in winter ball next year. It was a vastly better outcome, he said, than what would have been his second Tommy John surgery, which would have put his 2027 at risk as well."

The Red Sox hurler will miss the entire 2026 season

Feb 17, 2026; Lee County, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Vinny Nittoli (46) poses for a photo during media day at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Nittoli appeared in three games for the Red Sox in Spring Training before hurting his elbow. He was looking to make the club out of camp and make his first big league appearance since 2024 in the process.

Nittoli isn't the only non-roster invitee who has undergone surgery. Veteran infielder Brendan Rodgers underwent "right shoulder labral revision surgery," as reported by MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo on March 17. Both of these veterans had upside and could've been useful depth pieces for the organization, but both had some bad luck. Neither were guaranteed a roster spot, by any means, but it would've been nice to have them in Triple-A.

It's crunch time across Major League Baseball with just one week to go until Opening Day. Boston has added more veteran bullpen depth over the last week by signing Danny Coulombe and Tommy Kahnle. From the infield perspective, the Red Sox won't have Romy González and Rodgers obviously will not be playing. Fortunately, the club has Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio, who can play all over the place. As rosters get cut down across the league, it wouldn't hurt to see if a veteran infielder gets cut who could fill a depth role for Boston at Triple-A.