Red Sox No. 4 Prospect Needs Second Opinion After Elbow MRI

The Boston Red Sox really can't catch a break right now.

Sep 20, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

It's been a week full of bad news for the Boston Red Sox and the hits keep on coming.

By now, if you're a Red Sox fan, you obviously know that Alex Cora is no longer leading the franchise as the team's manager. Boston cleared house and fired a handful of coaches, led by Cora. That's enough turmoil for one season, let alone one week for a club. But that's not all. On Wednesday, the Red Sox announced that superstar lefty Garrett Crochet has been placed on the 15-Day Injured List due to left shoulder inflammation. Also, the club got a bit of bad news about Red Sox No. 4 prospect Juan Valera, which went under the radar.

Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reported that Valera will go for a second opinion after getting an MRI on his right elbow.

"Red Sox prospect Juan Valera, who underwent an MRI last week because of what the team identified as right elbow inflammation suffered in his third start of the season for High-A Greenville, is getting further feedback from doctors before deciding how to proceed," Speier wrote.

The Red Sox Hurler Is Getting A Second Opinion

Apr 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Boston Red Sox logo and a field bag during batting practice before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

“We reviewed Valera’s MRI internally and the recommendation was to get a consult with a doctor externally to have a better understanding of where we are,” farm director Brian Abraham wrote in a text to Speier. “He will do so in early May and we will have a plan/idea after that.”

Initially, reports indicated that Valera wouldn't need imaging after he exited his third start of the season for High-A Greenville. Things quickly shifted and it was reported that Valera would, in fact, be going in for an MRI to see if there was any damage to his pitching elbow.

Now, Valera has undergone an MRI and is looking for a second opinion. That doesn't necessarily mean the worst. That's not a guarantee that there is a significant injury, or anything like that. But if an MRI came back perfectly clean, you also wouldn't likely be going in for a second opinion.

Valera has caught the attention of fans around Boston with his blistering fastball that approaches 102 miles per hour. Unfortunately, it doesn't sound like fans are going to see him in action in the very near future. Nothing is guaranteed until the results of the second opinion are shared, but now is a time to surely hold your breath for the young flamethrower.