Red Sox's Brian Johnson: Exits start with calf injury

Johnson was forced to leave his start with Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday after injuring his right calf, Josh Norris of Baseball America reports.

The southpaw had cruised through 1.2 innings, recording five strikeouts and allowing two hits, before he suffered an untimely pop in his calf. Johnson was a potential candidate to start in the big leagues next Friday -- when the Red Sox will need a fifth starter to replace the injured Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) -- but the team may need to look elsewhere for replacements. Expect a firm reevaluation sometime within the next week to determine the extent of his injury.