Crimson Sox Notes: Devers, O'Neill, Yoshida

Crimson Sox third baseman Rafael Devers exited the membership’s loss to the White Sox earlier immediately attributable to left knee soreness, although supervisor Alex Cora advised reporters (including Tom Caron of NESN) following the sport that the membership is hopeful that the difficulty isn’t extra severe than that. Caron additionally relayed feedback from Devers himself concerning the subject. The 27-year-old famous that he wouldn’t be within the lineup for tomorrow’s collection finale in opposition to Chicago however that he hoped to be again within the lineup for the beginning of the membership’s collection in opposition to the Phillies in Boston on Tuesday.

The information is yet one more blow to a membership that has handled harm woes up and down the lineup all season. Devers has usually been the one constant offensive presence that the Crimson Sox have been capable of depend on this yr. Solely Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran have appeared in additional video games for Boston than Devers this season, and the star third baseman has dominated to the tune of a .286/.376/.563 slash line. That’s good for a 155 wRC+, the seventh highest determine within the AL and fourth amongst all MLB infielders.

Whereas the Crimson Sox seem like optimistic that they’ll solely be with out that manufacturing for a recreation or two, it’s value noting that this isn’t the primary time Devers’s knee has given him bother this season. Cora advised reporters (together with these on the Associated Press) again in April that Devers had undergone an MRI on his left knee and was coping with a bone bruise. The problem didn’t require a visit to the injured listing however did pressure Devers to overlook 5 video games again in April, and if the harm proves to have worsened it wouldn’t be a shock to see Devers wind up on the IL now that it has flared up once more.

With Devers now day-to-day, he finds himself in an analogous place as outfielder Tyler O’Neill. O’Neill wasn’t in immediately’s lineup as he nurses an injured proper knee that has brought about him to play simply three video games since Could 25. He was briefly positioned on the 10-day injured listing late final month however was activated early this week solely to tweak his knee throughout yesterday’s loss to the White Sox. Luckily, the AP notes that Cora advised reporters immediately that the membership hopes to keep away from sending O’Neill again to the injured listing as a result of subject and, very similar to Devers, the hope is he can return to the membership’s lineup on Tuesday in opposition to Philadelphia.

Whereas O’Neill hasn’t been the offensive juggernaut that Devers has confirmed to be this season, he’s nonetheless been a key a part of the Crimson Sox offense since arriving in a commerce with the Cardinals over the winter. In 44 video games with the membership this yr, the outfielder has slashed .250/.354/.500 with a 133 wRC+ and 11 homers in simply 181 journeys to the plate. That energy manufacturing from the appropriate aspect has been notably beneficial for the Crimson Sox as they’ve in any other case relied on lefty hitters corresponding to Devers and Wilyer Abreu for his or her energy manufacturing this season.

It’s unclear who would exchange Devers within the lineup if he have been to require a visit to the injured listing, as accidents to Vaughn Grissom, Triston Casas, and Trevor Story have severely restricted the membership’s choices across the infield. With David Hamilton dealing with shortstop duties and Jamie Westbrook splitting time alongside Enmanuel Valdez on the keystone, the membership might be left to show to Bobby Dalbec on the sizzling nook within the occasion of an harm to Devers, although they may additionally make the most of Westbrook at third base and transfer catcher Connor Wong to second as they did to finish the sport this night.

Determining how the membership may deal with the lack of O’Neill isn’t almost as tough, because the Worcester Red Sox introduced this afternoon that outfielder and DH Masataka Yoshida has begun a rehab task with them. In keeping with MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, the membership hopes that Yoshida will have the ability to rejoin the Crimson Sox sooner or later throughout this coming week. Within the occasion that O’Neill have been to require a return to the injured listing, Yoshida may seamlessly exchange O’Neill within the membership’s outfield/DH combine, taking again his position because the common DH whereas Duran, Rafaela, and Rob Refsnyder deal with the outfield.

Signed out of Japan to a five-year deal previous to the 2023 season, Yoshida has slashed .287/.339/.438 with a 109 wRC+ since his main league profession started however appeared in simply 24 video games earlier than being shelved attributable to a thumb sprain on the finish of April. The 30-year-old gave the impression to be heating up in his closing 48 journeys to the plate earlier than hitting the shelf as he slashed a strong .318/.375/.477 throughout 13 video games. If he have been to keep up a slash line in that vary upon his return to motion, that may absolutely present the Crimson Sox with a serious increase as they give the impression of being to rebound from a skid that has left them with a 32-33 document and 1.5 video games out of the ultimate AL Wild Card spot.