Red Sox's Collin McHugh Opts out of 2020 MLB Season amid Elbow Injury Rehab

The Boston Red Sox signed relief pitcher Collin McHugh this offseason, but he will reportedly miss the 2020 season with his new team.

Chad Jennings of The Athletic reported the right-hander elected to opt out of the shortened 2020 campaign amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Manager Ron Roenicke said McHugh was likely to spend time on the injured list as he recovered from an elbow injury, and the pitcher decided it was better to spend the time with his family instead.

In March, Ian Browne of MLB.com reported McHugh signed a one-year deal with Boston but was not expected to be ready for the start of the 2020 season before it was suspended because of the right elbow injury.

Even with the additional time off, he apparently was unable to rehab it to a place where he could take the mound with the season approaching.

Justin Leger of NBC Sports Boston noted the Red Sox signed him "in an attempt to bolster a noticeably thin pitching staff. Currently, the starting rotation consists of Eduardo Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi, Martin Perez, and then a couple of question marks in the fourth and fifth spots."

McHugh is a veteran who has been in the league since 2012 and pitched for the New York Mets, Colorado Rockies and Houston Astros. He spent the last six years with Houston and won the 2017 World Series while pitching in the playoffs in 2015, 2017 and 2018.

He was brilliant in 2018 with a 1.99 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 94 strikeouts in 72.1 innings but took a step back last year with 4.70 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 82 strikeouts in 74.2 innings.

Boston was hoping he would return to the form he displayed in 2018 when it signed him to a one-year deal, but it will be without him for a season that starts July 24 against the Baltimore Orioles.