Carson Smith Injury: Updates on Red Sox Pitcher's Elbow and Return

Boston Red Sox reliever Carson Smith was placed on the disabled list May 20 due to an elbow injury, which will require surgery. An exact timeline for his recovery has yet to be announced.

Continue for updates.

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Smith Surgery Date Revealed

Tuesday, May 24

The Red Sox announced Smith will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Tuesday.

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Smith Placed on Second DL Stint of Season

Friday, May 20

The Red Sox announced Smith was placed on the 15-day disabled list and called up right-handed pitcher Noe Ramirez to replace him on the roster.

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Smith Unable to Shake Injury Bug

Smith returned to the roster May 3 after initially being placed on the disabled list April 3 with a right flexor muscle strain, but manager John Farrell recently revealed that another trip to the DL was possible due to issues with his recovery between appearances, according to ESPN.com's Douglas Tucker.

Smith, 26, was a breakout performer for the Seattle Mariners in 2015, compiling a 2-5 record with a 2.31 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 92 strikeouts in 70 innings. Some thought Smith might be the closer of the future in Seattle, but the team dealt him to Boston in the offseason.

Smith has appeared in just three games this season due to injury, and he has yet to surrender an earned run while posting two strikeouts in 2.2 innings.

The Red Sox added Smith to be a late-innings setup man, with Craig Kimbrel entrenched in the closer role and Koji Uehara likely to handle the majority of the eighth-inning duties. For Boston, Smith and Junichi Tazawa are the optimal pair to handle the seventh inning or slide into the eighth on Uehara's nights off.

That means Tazawa will undertake a heavier load with Smith again sidelined. It could also lead to an increased role for Robbie Ross, who has worked primarily against lefties as the team's top southpaw reliever.

Nonetheless, the Red Sox have a solid bullpen, especially on the back end, so Smith's latest injury shouldn't be devastating. Still, Smith is a solid reliever and a major part of the team's depth, so Boston will feel his absence.

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