Juan

Valera

Valera left his last start with elbow soreness, but the team said on Monday that he would not need an X-ray or MRI. A day later, he is heading for an MRI. That’s a bit concerning, considering the 19-year-old missed three months last season with an elbow issue. We could be looking at an extended absence for the Red Sox’s fifth-ranked prospect.

Valera, Boston’s fifth-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, left his last start with elbow inflammation. But, as of now, it appears he has avoided any major injury. The current plan is for him to be shut down from throwing for two weeks and then begin to ramp back up. When he starts to throw again, we’ll have a better idea of whether or not the 19-year-old has really avoided any injury.

Valera is the Red Sox’s 5th-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and the 100th-ranked prospect overall, according to Baseball America. He threw a scoreless first inning against Bowling Green, then experienced discomfort after throwing a pitch in the second and was removed from the game. He will undergo further testing in the hopes that this isn’t a serious injury.