Plus, who might the Sox look at to replace Triston Casas?
It was Winston Churchill who, likely in between dry martinis, said that there was nothing in life so exhilarating as to be shot at without result. If that’s the case, then perhaps the Red Sox pitching staff should be thrilled about the amount of bullets dodged thus far. Granted, the injuries are piling up, with Brayan Bello now joining Garrett Whitlock and Nick Pivetta on the injured list. But all three cases, the injuries are said to be minor, requiring only minimal recovery time. In an age when every baseball fan is mentally braced to see a UCL tear tweet at any moment, this, believe it or not, counts as good news. Bello is experiencing just a little tightness, and it doesn’t even prevent him from throwing. (Julian McWilliams, Boston Globe)
But even though we should appreciate that the pitching injuries are relatively minor (big caveat for Lucas Giolito) it’s nonetheless true that the number of injuries is annoyingly high. There are Sox players currently on the IL. Here’s a rundown of who is missing, and who could come back soon, led by Vaughn Grissom. It’s possible that Grissom could make his debut this weekend against the Cubs, but next week is more likely. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
Liam Hendriks is hoping to return in the second half. In the meantime, he’s rehabbing not in Fort Myers, but in Boston, and he’s also traveling with the team on the road. He’s not doing it just to hang out with the guys; as a survivor of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he’s using the travel time as an opportunity to meet with cancer patients. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
Unfortunately, Triston Casas is not amongst those players who will be returning any time soon. Here are a few options from outside the organization the Red Sox could turn to to take his place. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
Even with all the injuries, Masataka Yoshida has had trouble breaking into the lineup. Is he an everyday player or not? Alex Cora insists he is, but it sure seems like he’s getting buried on the bench. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
Marcelo Mayer will not be an injury replacement any time soon — his development is too important to rush. But he is off to a hell of a start in Portland. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
If only Ceddanne Rafaela were off to a similarly promising start here in Boston. But even as he’s struggling with the bat, he’s playing an incredibly important role for the team as the guy who is expected to stabilize the shortstop position. (Julian McWilliams, Boston Globe)