Red Sox Shut Down 35-Year-Old Fighting for MLB Roster Spot

The Boston Red Sox got some tough news on Wednesday.

We are just about three weeks away from Opening Day. It's crunch time now for guys looking to make big league rosters all across the league. For the Red Sox, the vast majority of the Opening Day roster is easy to project. But there are depth spots that aren't as clear-cut and could be decided based on play over the next few weeks.

While this is the case, one non-roster invitee looking to crack the roster got some bad news on Wednesday in veteran hurler Vinny Nittoli. The 35-year-old righty signed a minor league deal with Boston in February with an invite to big league camp. Unfortunately, he has been shut down from throwing after experiencing elbow pain, per Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald.

The Red Sox hurler was shut down on Wednesday

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

"Red Sox right-hander looking to make the team as a non-roster invitee has experienced an ill-timed injury setback," Cerullo wrote. "Vinny Nittoli experienced elbow pain during his last outing on Saturday against the Minnesota Twins and has been shut down, Alex Cora said on Wednesday. Nittoli underwent an MRI on Tuesday but the club is still awaiting the results. 'We’ll know more today, but he was in pain so we have to shut him down,' [Red Sox manager Alex Cora] said.

"Nittoli has appeared in 15 MLB games over four big league seasons between 2021-24, most recently pitching for the Baltimore Orioles. The 35-year-old spent all of last season in Triple-A, posting a 4.58 ERA with 46 strikeouts over 39 1/3 innings split between the Brewers and Orioles’ affiliates. Prior to the injury this spring Nittoli had appeared in three games for the Red Sox, posting two scoreless innings sandwiched around an ugly showing where he allowed four runs over 2/3 of a frame."

Absolutely brutal. The Red Sox haven't announced a diagnosis yet, but with just three weeks to go until Opening Day, any injury is bad news at this point.

Nittoli has appeared in 15 games in his big league career so far and has a 2.41 ERA. With this latest update, it wouldn't be a shock in the slightest to see him at least begin the 2026 season with Triple-A Worcester, although that is speculation. Unfortunately, not the best timing for the veteran hurler.