J.D. out, not done in field
Crash into wall won’t alter plan
DETROIT — J.D. Martinez paid the price for a nice catch on Friday night, but the Red Sox won’t let a minor injury stop them from using him fairly regularly in the outfield.
Martinez chased down and caught a fly ball headed for the gap in the third inning of the Red Sox’ 1-0 win in the series opener against the Tigers, then crashed hard into the wall. He used his right wrist and left shoulder to brace the impact.
Martinez finished the game but reported “general soreness” to manager Alex Cora afterward. He was not in the Red Sox lineup for last night’s 5-0 loss.
“Just a little bit sore,” Cora said. “He ran into the wall yesterday. Yesterday he wasn’t feeling great after the game, so I decided to give him today.
“At the same time, these guys that make the All-Star Game, they really don’t have an All-Star break because of everything that goes on. They take batting practice on Monday, they play on Tuesday. The travel and all that. He’s getting the day off because he ran into the wall, but I think it’s a good day for him anyway.”
Martinez is expected to play in today’s game.
He had back spasms that caused him to miss a few games earlier in the year, but has otherwise been healthy since signing a fiveyear deal with the Red Sox in the offseason.
One of the few questions about Martinez during his free agency was his ability to stay healthy. He missed six weeks in 2016 after breaking his elbow while crashing into the wall, and missed six weeks in 2017 with a sprained foot.
While playing the outfield adds sizable risk of injury for the 30-year-old slugger, the Red Sox haven’t stopped sending him to the corner spots about every other day.
Martinez has played 54 games as a designated hitter, hitting .290 with 31 extra-base hits. He’s played 39 games in the outfield, hitting .370 with 22 extra-base hits.
The Red Sox did not feel the need to put Martinez through any tests after Friday night’s impact, nor will they stop sending him to the outfield.
“No, he likes playing the field,” Cora said. “And I take that into consideration. Actually, yesterday I met with Mitch Moreland and with Jackie Bradley Jr., and we went over the scenarios. Obviously with Steve Pearce now, when there’s a lefty on the mound, Steve will play, and somebody has to sit. When we have to sit Andrew Benintendi or Jackie, J.D. will play the outfield.”
Martinez has been occasionally substituted for a defensive replacement in the late innings, but Cora chose not to on Friday when the Sox were protecting a 1-0 lead in an erratic game that saw the Tigers’ reach third base with fewer than two outs twice without scoring.
“Where we were in the lineup, I felt like we had to stay with him,” Cora said. “In right field, we’re fine. And honestly with the way Craig Kimbrel is throwing the ball, it’s either weak contact or a strikeout, so I take that into consideration. And that’s why we stayed with him.”
Devers returns
There’s no guarantee Rafael Devers’ shoulder inflammation won’t hinder him, but the player and the Red Sox felt like he was healthy enough to jump back into the starting lineup last night, the first day he was eligible to return from the 10-day disabled list.
He was 1-for-4 with two strikeouts and a throwing error in his return.
Devers first injured his shoulder in a mid-June series with the Seattle Mariners and played for a few weeks through the pain.
Asked if the injury was behind Devers now, Cora said, “We’re about to see. No, he should be fine. We were joking with him, like, Xander Bogaerts, rehab assignment. Brock Holt, he needed a rehab assignment. And all of a sudden, you’re 21, and you don’t need it? So, you better be ready to perform.”
Devers worked out in the Dominican Republic during the All-Star break and swung the bat without restriction, which gave the Sox confidence the third baseman was ready.
Holt was out of the lineup after getting spiked in the knee during a second base collision Friday.
“He’s doing OK, just a little bit sore,” Cora said. “Probably stay away from him today and tomorrow. Hopefully he can start on Monday.”
The Sox optioned lefty Bobby Poyner back to Triple-A Pawtucket to make room for Devers. Because of Holt’s injury, they wanted to maintain infield depth and chose to keep Tzu-Wei Lin around.
Sale rested, ready
Chris Sale will begin his second half today, and his manager is expecting the radar gun to be lighting up.
“Well, the last time he got a long break, he came out throwing 100 mph,” Cora said. “Hopefully he doesn’t throw 102 mph.”
Sale will have had 10 days between starts, though he did start the All-Star Game and threw nine pitches in the first inning.
“I think, physically, it’s good for him,” Cora said. “I think the inning pitched in the All-Star Game benefits him to stay sharp, and he should be fine. He’s excited about it.
“Whenever we have a chance to take care of them through the season, we will do it . ... With the off days, if everything goes the way we’re planning on, there’s going to be certain days he’s going to pitch (after) six days off so it’s going to be great for him.”