Neck issue puts Hanley on bench
HOUSTON — Hanley Ramirez played first base again Wednesday, and wouldn’t you know it, he hasn’t been in the Red Sox lineup since.
Ramirez was on the bench against a right-handed starter last night because of spasm-like tightness in his neck. This time, the team says playing the field is simply a coincidence. The cause of the injury is actually more bizarre.
“As he was doing some work (before Thursday’s game), it was a quick turn that he went to address someone and felt it grab him,” manager John Farrell said. “That’s what I have on it.”
Wednesday was only the second time this season that Ramirez played the field. The first time was in Milwaukee in early May when Ramirez lasted just three innings and didn’t play the next three games because of a sore trapezius muscle.
At 33, Ramirez has notoriously bad shoulders and has been relegated to designated hitter duties most of the year. He gave no indication that Wednesday’s return to the field was a problem.
Without Ramirez, it was Chris Young, who typically plays only against lefties, who started at designated hitter.
This latest injury looks and sounds similar, but Farrell said it’s a different issue. “No, that was more in the trap area (previously),” Farrell said. “It basically spasmed up (this time). Pretty nondescript, but at the same time, it’s hindering.”
Rutledge starts
Pablo Sandoval was back on the bench, the Red Sox choosing to start Josh Rutledge at third base even against a right-handed starter, which is usually Sandoval’s specialty.
“We’re keeping everybody involved,” Farrell said. “This is an extremely quick infield surface and a lineup that strikes out the fewest in all of baseball, so there’s going to be a high number of balls put in play that we anticipate. We’re just keeping everybody involved.”
Farrell was careful to point out that Rutledge’s defense wasn’t the only factor in the decision to start him ahead of Sandoval, but it was certainly one. The Astros are starting all righthanders this season, and Farrell said he expects Sandoval to be back out there at some point.
“We’ve got a guy with reverse splits here tonight in (Astros starter Mike) Fiers,” Farrell said. “I want to be clear that just the playing surface isn’t the reason Rut’s in the game. There’s a number of things that you factor in.
“Panda’s worked his way back to us. He hasn’t played a high number of consecutive games at third base. We get in again at 4 o’clock in the morning. Just trying to keep as many fresh legs on the field as possible.”
Rutledge played well with a hit and multiple plays in the field, including a leaping snag to get the Red Sox out of trouble in the seventh in the Sox’ 2-1 victory.
Smith setback
Reliever Carson Smith was supposed to be two days from beginning a minor league rehab assignment, but he will instead take the next few days to rest after discovering shoulder inflammation.
Smith is working his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery. Assuming this is a minor setback, it would not be unusual for a player rehabbing that procedure.
“With guys coming back from Tommy John, the long layoff and the ramping up of the volume, he needs a little bit of a breather right now,” Farrell said. “So there’s going to be a fouror five-day period he’s going to go through with no throwing. We were fully anticipating Sunday as the start of his rehab, but that’s on hold right now.”
No surprises
As planned, Brian Johnson’s sore left shoulder was examined in Boston yesterday, and the tests confirmed the previous diagnosis of inflammation and impingement.
“He’s undergoing some treatment, as we typically give a pitcher in this case,” Farrell said. “But we didn’t feel like this was a severe or worsening situation, so while he’s on the DL, while it’s confirmed he’s got some inflammation, we hope this is a relatively quick turnaround for him that we can get him going relatively soon.”
Staying the course
With eight losses with a 4.67 ERA, Rick Porcello has not come close to repeating last year’s Cy Young results out of the rotation, and Farrell acknowledged that the team discussed having Christian Vazquez — not Sandy Leon — catch Porcello in tonight’s start in Houston. But the team ultimately decided to stick with the Porcello-Leon tandem.
“Sometimes it can give a different look, maybe a bit of a fresh approach with the chemistry or the batterymates,” Farrell said. “I’m not thinking anything different where there would be a change. Discussed, thought about, but I can’t say tomorrow night Vazqy would be handling him.” . . .
Tyler Thornburg’s surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome went ahead as scheduled yesterday, but Farrell had no updates on Thornburg’s status or any details about the procedure.