Abreu latest with hamstring strain
Sox still unbeaten in spring training
The Red Sox are the only remaining undefeated team in spring training, despite an unusual injury situation.
Hours after Alex Cora gave promising updates on Connor Wong and James Paxton, who suffered Grade-1 hamstring strains within 24 hours of each other on Thursday and Friday, Sunday’s game yielded a third hamstring injury.
Wilyer Abreu, the organization’s No. 23 prospect, sustained a left hamstring strain running to first base after hitting a single to lead off the seventh inning.
The 23-year-old outfielder was visibly in pain as he stood on first, prompting Cora and a trainer to run out. Ultimately, they helped him limp off the field.
Wong and Paxton are “feeling better,” the Red Sox manager told reporters, including MLB’s Ian Browne. “They’re getting treatment and all that stuff but actually feeling much better than what we thought they would be.”
He sounded less optimistic about Abreu. “Kind of similar like Wong,” Cora told reporters after the game. “He’ll be out for a while.”
One of two impressive prospects acquired from the Astros in last summer’s Christian Vázquez trade, Abreu is a promising combination of plate discipline and power; he drew 114 walks and hit 29 doubles and 19 home runs in 129 games last year, including 36 walks in 40 games with the Red Sox Double-A affiliate after the trade.
It’s been a brief but standout spring training for Abreu so far. He’d appeared in six preseason contests before Sunday, and collected three hits (two for extra bases), four RBI, and five runs. In the blowout victory over the Phillies on March 2, he hit the team’s second grand slam of the game.
Three of the same injuries in such a short span isn’t unheard of, but it’s certainly unique.
The heat and humidity in Fort Myers could be a contributing factor, and one the Red Sox can’t exactly control, but they were already taking steps to combat the conditions before Abreu got hurt. On Sunday morning, Cora told reporters that they’d put the players through a lighter pregame workout.
“Today was an easy day for them,” he said. “Bad luck, I guess.”
An edgy start
Corey Kluber’s second start of spring training got a bit dicey towards the end, but with a little help from RHP Chase Shugart, the starter’s day ended with a scoreless outing of 2 2/3 innings.
The 36-year-old righty allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out four of 12 batters faced. Shugart got a strikeout to leave the bases loaded and preserve Kluber’s shutout.
In the second, the veteran issued a rare walk, prompting Kevin Youkilis, in his sophomore season in the NESN booth, to remark, “He lives on the edges.”
Indeed, Kluber has been stingy with free bases throughout his career. Between 2012-18, the twotime Cy Young-winner had a 1.9 BB9, walking just 274 batters across 1,301 2/3 innings.
But over the following three seasons, as injuries limited and impacted his playing time, he only pitched 116 2/3 innings and had an elevated 3.8 BB9.
Last year was Kluber’s first full season since 2018. He made 31 starts for a total of 164 innings, and though he wasn’t as effective at limiting runs as he’d been at his peak, a significant sign of return to form was his 1.2 BB9, which led all of MLB.
Adding pitchers who limit walks (and hitters adept at drawing them) was a clear priority for the Red Sox this offseason.
Understandably so; last year’s 3.3 BB9 tied for fifthworst mark in baseball, and the bullpen had the secondhighest walk rate in the American League.
Worse yet, the Red Sox have had the second-highest bullpen walk rate in their league over the last five years.
In addition to Kluber, the Red Sox added veteran reliever Chris Martin, who boasts a 1.2 career BB9, and a 1.0 BB9 since 2018, when he returned to the majors after pitching in Japan for two years.
Martin’s minuscule 2.2% walk rate last season led all pitchers (minimum 30 innings); the MLB average is 8.3%. Of the 24 Red Sox pitchers who threw 10 or more innings, Nathan Eovaldi’s 4.3% walk rate was the best on the roster.
Even more impressive, Martin averaged 14.80 strikeouts per walk last year. Of the 144 relievers who threw 50 or more innings in 2022, only three had K/BB rates of 7 or better. But even within that elite trio, he was miles ahead of the competition; Diamondbacks pitcher Joe Mantiply ranked second, with a 10.17 K/BB.
Kenley Jansen, Boston’s new closer, is 35 and entering his 14th season in the majors, but continues to shut down the opposition. Since his age-30 season in 2018, he has a 3.1 BB9, as well as a 30.7% strikeout rate (MLB average is 21%).
Injury updates
Cora offered an update on Adalberto Mondesí, the infielder acquired from the Royals in January brimming with potential that’s been repeatedly blocked by injuries.
“Tomorrow, he’s gonna get retested as far as like, strength and all that stuff, so we can compare the numbers to the first test and see where we’re at,” the Red Sox manager told reporters.
Mondesí tore his left ACL in April 2022, and only began taking real batting practice in late February. He’s also been taking grounders, Cora said, but not every day.
Since his debut, a unique occasion as it came during the 2015 World Series, the 27-year-old has only played 60 or more regular-season games twice in seven years in the majors, and only reached triple-digit games once, in 2019.
Prospect highlight
The Red Sox already had a 2-1 lead when David Hamilton came up to bat, but his 2-run double gave them some cushion. For several days already, they’ve been the only undefeated team in spring training.
Another day, another impressive defensive outing by Ceddanne Rafaela, who continues to make the impossible look effortless. The club’s No. 3 prospect (No. 86 in MLB) also went 2-for-2 with a run scored.
Reassignments
On Sunday morning, the Red Sox reassigned righthanded pitchers Dan Altavilla and Victor Santos, catcher Elih Marrero, and infielder Matthew Lugo to minor league camp.
Next up
Chris Sale makes his spring training debut Monday versus the Tigers.
This will be his first time pitching in a game since July 2022 at Yankee Stadium, when an Aaron Hicks line-drive come-backer fractured the southpaw’s pinky in the first inning of his second start of the year.