BOSTON -- After being skipped in the rotation this week due to a nagging right calf, Nathan Eovaldi had been in day-to-day mode for his next start.

However, the Red Sox reversed course on Saturday, placing the flame-throwing righty on the 10-day injured list retroactive to Aug. 26. He will next be eligible to pitch on Sept. 5 against the Blue Jays.

What led to the change in plans?

“We had an MRI on his calf. There’s a very mild strain, but we feel like to do it right, we want him to throw two bullpens before he pitches,” said Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke. “He’ll throw a bullpen [Sunday]. He’ll throw a bullpen Wednesday, an up-and-down bullpen Wednesday to make sure we don’t spike too much after his layoff, and then he’ll be eligible to pitch in [next] Saturday’s game.”

Righty Chris Mazza was recalled from the alternate training site to take Eovaldi’s spot on the roster, starting Saturday night’s game against the Nationals.

The Red Sox have had only two set starters in the rotation this season, including Eovaldi and lefty Martín Pérez. With Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez both out for the season, Eovaldi has been thrust into the role of No. 1 starter.

Righty Zack Godley will pitch Sunday’s series finale against the Nats, a spot the Sox had originally been eyeing for Eovaldi. Colten Brewer will take the ball on Monday against the Braves. The Sox haven’t decided yet on a Tuesday starter, though lefty Kyle Hart, who hasn’t been able to pitch beyond the fourth inning in his first three starts, is a possibility.

Without question, Boston’s lack of starting depth will be tested even further this next week without Eovaldi.

“The thing is, we’ve been kind of chasing this thing around with the calf,” Roenicke said. “Like I told you, yesterday’s bullpen [session] was definitely the best we’ve had. I kind of felt like it was going to be awhile anyway. I think being able to backdate it and have a plan for him, we feel really good about him being ready on Saturday.

“So I think even though we know we’re losing him, at least I know now with the MRI that it’s nothing serious, we can get him back on the mound and have him pitch games again. You always wonder what’s going on, how long is this going to last, and we feel pretty good about what this is and when he’ll be back.”

Eovaldi’s most recent start on Aug. 21 against the Orioles was his best of the season, as the hard-throwing righty gave up just one run over seven innings.

For the season, Eovaldi is 2-2 with a 4.98 ERA in six starts.

Pivetta getting stretched out
Though there’s still a chance that righty Nick Pivetta will start for the Red Sox this season, it sounds like it might not be for a while.

Pivetta, one of the righties the Red Sox acquired last week for Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree, was optioned to the alternate site after the trade.

Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom drove to Pawtucket this week to start to make a plan with Pivetta.

“We need to stretch him back out again,” Roenicke said. “He hasn’t pitched for a while. Right now, we’re going to stretch him out, and then see where that allows us to bring him up where we feel really confident that he’s ready and he’s extended out and built up enough strength to pitch the innings that we’re going to have him go.”

Devers struggling with routine
Third baseman Rafael Devers has been hot in spurts, but he hasn’t been able to get in the same type of groove he had during a breakout 2019 season.

The 23-year-old said some of the things that go with playing in a pandemic have made it challenging for him. One is that players aren’t allowed to study video from the current game between at-bats. The other is as simple as remembering to get his mask for certain pregame activities.

“It’s definitely been much more difficult than before,” Devers said. “The main thing I speak of is [not being able] to watch our swings and stuff, going in after the at-bat, that’s been the biggest difference.

“But yeah, the circumstances that we’re in, sometimes we need to hit and we forget our mask or we have to put something on, it just adds to the difficulties of the year. I definitely don’t want to put any added blame on the video or on the mask. I’m not going well because I’m not doing well. It’s no excuse. But it is different. It does make things a little difficult.”