Play at second takes out Nunez
Another Manny Machado slide, another Red Sox second baseman down.
With Dustin Pedroia still on the disabled list, it was Eduardo Nunez who left last night’s game with a sprained left wrist/thumb. The Red Sox announced the injury that way, with the slash, but said X-rays were negative.
Nunez is considered day-to-day.
“(After) all the workup that he would get here in the training room, we’ll see how he is when he comes in here (today),” manager John Farrell said after the 16-3 loss to the Orioles.
This time, the Machado slide seemed clean, and the real culprit was a low and wide throw by catcher Sandy Leon, who was trying to catch Machado attempting to steal second base in the second inning.
Nunez had to lunge for the ball and came down awkwardly on his wrist as Machado slid over his glove. Brock Holt, the only extra middle infielder on the roster, replaced Nunez at second base.
Back in April, Machado slid hard into Pedroia during a series in Baltimore. The play left Pedroia hobbled and set off a beanball war between the two teams. There was no such animosity this time, but Nunez’ status was left up in the air.
The veteran utility man has been an offensive boost since coming over from San Francisco at the trade deadline. He’s hit .336 with six home runs and 20 RBI in 24 games with the Red Sox, and the team has needed him at second base because of Pedroia’s ongoing left knee problems.
It was the left leg that Pedroia hurt in the April collision with Machado, but he also had offseason surgery on that knee, and it’s been a problem off and on much of the season. He’s played only once since July 28 because of it, but he did begin on-the-field baseball drills yesterday.
“Pedey went through some groundball work on the field, hit in the cage as we were in the cage as a team,” Farrell said. “So that’s where the BP took place. He’s now in that next phase, and I know the next question is, how quick does it ramp up? I don’t have that date yet, but we’re in the more functional baseball activity.”
Moreland on hill
Mitch Moreland was a pretty good relief pitcher in college, and it seems the Sox first baseman still has something in the tank. For the second time as a professional, he pitched a scoreless inning, throwing the ninth inning last night.
His final pitch registered 92 mph.
“I tried to throw that one a little bit harder just because I had two strikes,” Moreland said. “Just hoping it’d be my last one.”
Because the Red Sox were trailing by 13 runs, Farrell didn’t want to use any of his go-to relievers and instead called on Moreland, who’d pitched a scoreless inning for the Rangers in 2014 and had been scouted as a pitcher at Mississippi State in 2007.
“One of the pitchers asked me if I could go backto-back days,” Moreland said. “I said, maybe backto-back years.”
Davis center stage
Beyond Pedroia’s progression, the best short-term injury news for the Red Sox was Mookie Betts starting in right field. Betts bruised his right knee on two defensive plays on Thursday but was able to step back into the lineup.
More good news on the injury front came from David Price, who did long toss at 120 feet, and from Jackie Bradley Jr., who reported progress with his sprained left thumb.
“The swelling and the soreness is reduced quite a bit,” Farrell said.
With Betts and Andrew Benintendi taking their regular spots in the outfield corners, new addition Rajai Davis made his first Sox start as the center fielder. The Red Sox traded for Davis on Wednesday. He went 1-for-3 and is hitting .310 in his past 21 games at Fenway Park.
“Rajai is a guy that’s garnered internal conversations probably the past couple of weeks as we’ve looked for a little bit more of a speed element whether it’s in a starting capacity or coming off the bench late,” Farrell said. “He is a weapon when it comes to running the bases. There’s been familiarity obviously in Toronto the past couple of years with him, and he’s got game-changing speed.”
Instead of taking Bradley Jr.’s usual spot in the No. 9 hole, Davis hit eighth ahead of Leon.
“No offense to Sandy, but if both guys get on, I don’t want Rajai behind Sandy,” Farrell said. “It might not be a relay race.”