Red Sox select Texas Tech right-hander Hunter Dobbins with No. 226 pick in 2021 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Texas Tech University right-hander Hunter Dobbins with their eighth-round pick in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft at No. 226 overall.

Dobbins, primarily a reliever throughout his college career, missed the entirety of the 2021 season after suffering a UCL injury during the preseason that would ultimately require him to undergo year-ending Tommy John surgery.

Prior to that happening, though, the 21-year-old hurler had posted a 1.35 ERA and 1.10 WHIP to go along with 25 strikeouts to just five walks over six outings (three starts) spanning 20 total innings of work with the Red Raiders in 2020.

A native of Bryan, Texas, Dobbins is the son of former minor-league pitcher Lance Dobbins, who spent time with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Dobbins was topping out at 98 mph with his fastball prior to getting hurt earlier this year. He does have the option to return to Texas Tech for his junior year if he so chooses since he does have at least two years of eligibility remaining.

In selecting Dobbins, the Red Sox have drafted their second straight college pitcher out of the Big 12 after taking Oklahoma’s Wyatt Olds with their lone seventh-round selection.

The recommended slot value for 226th overall pick in this year’s draft is approximately $188,900.

(Picture of Hunter Dobbins: Texas Tech Athletics)

Red Sox select University of Oklahoma right-hander Wyatt Olds with No. 196 pick in 2021 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected University of Oklahoma right-hander Wyatt Olds with their seventh-round pick in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft at No. 196 overall.

Olds, who turns 22 next month, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 420 prospect coming into the draft. He is the first and only college pitcher the Red Sox have selected so far.

Listed at 6-foot and 183 pounds, the Oklahoma native just wrapped up a junior season with the Sooners in which he posted a 5.23 ERA and 1.36 WHIP while recording 101 strikeouts and 37 walks over 19 appearances (11 starts) spanning 75 2/3 innings of work this spring.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, Olds — who was not drafted out of high school — began the 2021 campaign in Oklahoma’s starting rotation, but ultimately moved to the bullpen on account of prolonged struggles.

“Olds’ lower arm slot can make it hard for hitters to pick up the ball, and he misses bats, but he also misses the strike zone,” his scouting report reads. “He has a long arm action that he has struggled to repeat consistently, especially in longer stints. His fastball picked up a tick after his move to the bullpen, as he went from sitting 91-94 mph to sitting 93-96 and touching 97.

“Evaluators already saw Olds as a likely reliever in pro ball and his 2021 season only further confirmed that suspicion. As a reliever, Olds can rely on his fastball/slider pairing, both of which play as above-average offerings in shorter stints. His slider is a power pitch (85-88 mph) with some tilt. As a reliever, he doesn’t have to use his well below-average changeup that he threw as a starter.”

While it certainly appears as though Olds projects to be a reliever at the pro level as opposed to a starter, the young righty does have the option to return to campus if he so chooses.

That said, the recommended slot value for the 196th overall selection in this year’s draft is $239,000, so perhaps he and the Red Sox can get a deal done based off that figure.

(Picture of Wyatt Olds: Paxson Haws/The Daily)

Red Sox select Bonita Vista High School utility man Daniel McElveny with No. 166 pick in 2021 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Bonita Vista High School (Calif). utility man Daniel McElveny with their sixth-round pick in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft at No. 166 overall.

McElveny, 18, is listed at 6-foot and 190 pounds and is currently committed to play college baseball at San Diego State University.

A right-handed hitter who also throws with his right hand, McElveny played his high school baseball right down the road from where Red Sox first-round pick Marcelo Mayer did in Southern California.

Per his MaxPreps page, McElveny posted an impressive .435/.580/.764 slash line to go along with nine doubles, two triples, five home runs, 22 RBI, 37 runs scored, 23 stolen bases, 20 walks, and 15 strikeouts over 29 games (119 plate appearances) played during his senior season at Bonita Vista.

While there is not much information out there on McElveny, he is apparently versatile given the fact he has experience in both the infield and outfield and is listed as a utility player on MLB.com.

According to Perfect Game, the California native is the 475th-ranked prospect in this year’s draft class, ranking 89th among shortstops. His scouting report from Perfect Game, which was written sometime last year, goes as follows:

“Strong athletic build with broad shoulders and the chance to get stronger. Right handed hitter, hits from a straight stance with good balance and direction through contact, very good present bat speed, line drive swing plane and showed the ability to create back spin and carry to the gaps, has loose fast hands through the ball and plenty of extension for future power. 6.81 runner in the sixty. Played both infield and outfield on defense, primary infielder with solid overall athleticism, big arm strength from both positions with true on line carry, is short and quick with his transfers. Well balanced combination of skills and tools with a chance to play a premium defensive position.”

McElveny, who does not turn 19 until next April is the second prep position player the Red Sox have drafted alongside Mayer.

The recommended slot value for the 166th overall pick in this year’s draft is approximately $306,800, so it should be interesting to see if the Sox can sway McElveny to sign as opposed to honoring commitment to San Diego State.

(Picture of Red Sox logo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox select University of Florida catcher Nathan Hickey with No. 136 pick in 2021 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected University of Florida catcher Nathan Hickey with their fifth-round pick in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft at No. 136 overall.

Hickey, 21, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 132 prospect headed into the draft, ranking 10th among all eligible catchers.

Listed at 6-foot and 205 pounds, the left-handed hitting, right-handed throwing backstop was college teammates at Florida with Red Sox second-round selection Jud Fabian.

In his second season with the Gators this spring, which was technically his freshman season on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hickey slashed .317/.435/.522 with 15 doubles, two triples, nine home runs, 50 RBI, 40 runs scored, one stolen base, 42 walks, and 40 strikeouts over 60 games spanning 278 plate appearances.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, the Jacksonville, Fla. native is well-regarded when it comes to his offensive game, but questions arise when it comes to what he is capable of doing behind the plate.

“Hickey hammers fastballs and has done well with 93-plus mph velocity this spring and tries to access his easy plus raw power with a leveraged and steep uphill swing path,” his scouting report reads. “That’s allowed him to do damage to his pull side on pitches middle and down, but there is a hole at the top of the zone that better pitchers might be able to expose more often. A good feel for the strike zone and a willingness to take walks should take some of the pressure off of Hickey’s pure bat-to-ball skills.

“A team that thinks Hickey can stick behind the plate might like his bat among the top-50 picks in the draft, but most of the industry seems to think he’ll have to move off the position at the next level. His arm is more serviceable than above-average or plus and he needs plenty of work as a receiver and blocker to get to even fringe-average defensive ability.”

While he is listed as a catcher, Hickey does have limited experience at both corner infield positions, as he played four games at first base and five games at third base for the Gators this spring.

And because of his status as a quote-unquote freshman, Hickey has at least two years of eligibility remaining, so he could certainly return to campus in Gainesville if he so chooses.

That said, the recommended slot value for the 136th overall pick in this year’s draft is $410,100, so it will be interesting to see if the Red Sox will be able to reach an agreement with Hickey — the first catcher they have drafted this year — sooner rather than later.

(Picture of Nathan Hickey: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Red Sox select Puerto Rican right-hander Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz with No. 105 pick in 2021 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Leadership Christian Academy (Puerto Rico) with their fourth-round pick in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft at No. 105 overall.

Rodriguez-Cruz, who turns 18 next month, is listed at 6-foot-4 and 170 pounds. The lanky righty is currently committed to play his college baseball at the University of Oregon.

Per ProspectsLive.com, Rodriguez-Cruz — a native of Trujillo Alto, which is only 11 miles north of Alex Cora’s hometown of Caguas — “makes it look extremely easy on the mound” with “smooth, repeatable mechanics.”

ProspectsLive.com had the young hurler as its 348th-ranked draft prospect, while Perfect Game USA had him as one of the top young right-handers coming out of Puerto Rico in this year’s draft.

“Long and slender build with long arms and legs, extremely projectable physically,” Rodriguez’s cruz Perfect Game scouting report from earlier this year reads. “High leg lift delivery, gets back over his lower half and coils well, arm and body are on time and he creates big arm speed through release with plus extension.

“Fastball worked up to 94 mph with big life at times, not much effort to create plus velocity, works fastball to glove side most of the time, held his velocity very well out of the stretch. Curveball had sharp biting action and some depth, can see him shortening it up for a power slider in the future. Quality change up with late dive and good arm speed generated plenty of bad swings. Very high ceiling young pitching talent.”

In Rodriguez-Cruz, the Red Sox have selected their first pitcher in the 2021 draft after taking three position players (Marcelo Mayer, Jud Fabian, Tyler McDonough) in the first three rounds.

The recommended slot value for the 105th pick is approximately $554,300.

Boston will once again be on the clock for pick No. 136, so stay tuned for that.

(Picture of Red Sox logo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox select versatile North Carolina State second baseman Tyler McDonough with No. 75 pick in 2021 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected North Carolina State second baseman/outfielder Tyler McDonough with their third-round pick in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft at No. 75 overall.

McDonough, 22, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 127 prospect headed into the draft.

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, the Ohio native proved to be a versatile fielder in his time with the Wolfpack.

This past season alone, McDonough saw time at center field (50 games) and third base (six games) in addition to some past experience at second base.

Over the course of the 55 games he played for North Carolina State this spring, the switch-hitter posted an impressive .339/.423/.631 slash line to go along with 21 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, 45 RBI, 13 stolen bases, 33 walks, and 48 strikeouts in 267 total trips to the plate.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, McDonough “doesn’t jump out at you with loud tools, but he’s become a player who scouts appreciate the more they watch him” as “he does everything on the field at a high level” and has a certain appeal to him.

“McDonough controls the zone well, doesn’t swing and miss much and takes his share of walks, and this season he hit a career-high 15 homers,” his scouting report reads. “Scouts have said those homers have come with a longer swing and more aggressive hacks, and his 17% strikeout rate was the highest of his career, which shows a slight shift in his approach. McDonough has spread his homers all over the field and his exit velocities are impressive for a player of his size, so perhaps solid power will be part of his game at the next level as well.

“McDonough has spent most of his time in center field for the Wolfpack, but he has the defensive versatility to play all over the place, including second base, third base and perhaps even shortstop in a pinch. He’s a better runner underway than he is out of the box and went 30-for-36 (83%) over his career in stolen base attempts.”

Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo projected McDonough to come off the board in the second-to-fourth round range, and that is what winds up happening as Boston selects the right-handed thrower with their lone third-round selection.

As a junior who does not turn 23 until next April, McDonough does have some flexibility in that he could return to campus if he wanted to since he does have at least one year of eligibility remaining.

With that being said, the recommended slot value for the 75th overall pick in this year’s draft is $831,100, so it should be interesting to see if a deal between McDonough and the Red Sox — whose drafting efforts are led by chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and amateur scouting director Paul Toboni, among others — can be agreed upon sometime in the near future.

(Picture of Tyler McDonough: NC State Athletics)

Red Sox select University of Florida outfielder Jud Fabian with No. 40 pick in 2021 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected University of Florida outfielder Jud Fabian with their second-round pick in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft at No. 40 overall.

Fabian, 20 was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 27 prospect heading into the draft, ranking sixth among college position players.

There was a point in time not too long ago — before the college baseball season started — where it looked as though Fabian, a native of Florida, could be a potential top-five pick this summer, but an up-and-down sophomore season with the Gators resulted in his stock dropping a bit.

Over 59 games (269 plate appearances) with Florida this spring, the right-handed hitting, left-handed throwing outfielder slashed .249/.364/.560 with 10 doubles, 20 home runs, 46 RBI, 51 runs scored, six stolen bases, 40 walks, and 79 strikeouts.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, Fabian enrolled at Florida a year early in 2019 after skipping his senior season at Trinity Catholic High School (Ocala, Fla.), making him one of the younger college prospects in the draft.

Per his Baseball America scouting report, Fabian — who does not turn 21 until late September — “teams [had] plenty of concerns about his pure feel for hitting and his high strikeout rates” this spring.

“He entered the year with question marks about his swing and miss against spin but has whiffed more than 30% against each pitch type,” Fabian’s scouting report reads. “Fabian has attempted to make some tweaks mechanically to cut down on his strikeouts, removing a leg kick in two-strike counts which did help him lower his strikeout rate, but it’s still higher than the 25% mark teams generally prefer with first-round bats. Fabian does have solid bat speed and plus raw power that has translated mostly to the pull side, but he’s hit a few impressive homers over the right-field fence as well.

“Fabian should have no issues handling center field and playing it at a high level defensively at the next level. He’s an above-average runner but what makes him a special defender are his defensive instincts, first step, reads off the bat, athleticism and arm strength. He’s at least a plus defender in the outfield and some scouts have gone as far as putting double-plus grades on his glove, making him one of the best defensive center fielders in the 2021 draft class.”

Because of his age and the fact that he has two years of eligibility left, Fabian has plenty of leverage when it comes to negotiating his signing price.

According to FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen and Kevin Goldstein, some within the industry feel as though the young slugger “might go back to school if he doesn’t go in the first round.”

Longenhagen and Goldstein also noted earlier this month that Fabian partook in a private workout conducted by the Red Sox that included the likes of Henry Davis and Brady House.

With all that being said, the recommended slot value for the 40th overall selection in this year’s draft is approximately $1,856,700, while the Red Sox — whose drafting efforts are led by chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and amateur scouting director Paul Toboni, among others — have approximately $11,359,600 in total bonus pool space to work with when it comes to signing their picks.

While it’s unclear at the moment if Fabian will sign with Boston or return to campus in Gainesville, one thing is for certain: the Red Sox will be on the clock again when it is time for pick No. 75 to be made.

(Picture of Jud Fabian: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

Red Sox prospects in the Futures Game: How did Brayan Bello, Jeter Downs fare in showcase?

While the Red Sox were in the process of falling to the Phillies by a final score of 5-4 at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon, two of the brightest prospects in Boston’s farm system were showcasing their talent nearly 2,000 miles away at Coors Field in Denver.

Infielder Jeter Downs and right-hander Brayan Bello both represented the Red Sox while playing for the American League in Sunday’s All-Star Futures Game, and both prospects were able to get into the game.

Bello, who is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 9 pitching prospect in the Red Sox farm system, came on in relief of Rangers prospect Cole Ragans with one out in the bottom of third inning.

Inheriting a situation in which the American League was already trailing 3-0 and the National League had a runner on first base, Bello’s first pitch — a 97.7 mph fastball — was sent flying off the bat of Cardinals prospect Nolan Gorman, who reached second base on a hard-hit double before advancing to third on a wild pitch.

With that potential run just 90 feet away from scoring, Bello proceeded to give up a sacrifice fly to Padres catcher Luis Campusano that plated Gorman, but then rebounded by getting the Braves’ Michael Harris to line out to second to put an end to an inning as well as his outing.

Of the 11 pitches the 22-year-old hurler threw on Sunday, seven went for strikes, though he only induced one swing-and-miss, which came on an 0-0 changeup to Campusano.

Besides that, Bello averaged 97.9 mph with the four four-seam fastballs he threw while topping out at 98.1 mph with his well-regarded heater. He also threw five sliders and three changeups in total.

Bello, who originally signed with the Sox out of the Dominican Republic for $28,000 back in 2017, is enjoying a breakout season in 2021.

Opening the year with High-A Greenville, the 6-foot-1, 170 pound righty went 5-0 while posting a 2.27 ERA and 2.62 xFIP with 45 strikeouts to just seven walks over six starts spanning 31 2/3 innings of work before earning a promotion to Double-A Portland on June 8.

Since then, Bello has produced an ERA of 3.06 and xFIP of 3.81 to go along with 22 strikeouts and eight walks in five starts (17 2/3 innings pitched) with the Sea Dogs.

Downs, meanwhile, came off the bench in the fifth inning of Sunday’s seven-inning exhibition, as he took over at second base for Rays prospect Xavier Edwards.

Facing off against Nationals 2020 first-round pick Cade Cavalli in his first trip to the plate, Downs was bombarded by a barrage of high-octane fastballs that ranged between 98.4 mph and 100.4 mph.

The talented right-handed hitter was able foul off five of the first seven pitches he saw from Cavalli, but ultimately went down swinging on a 2-2, 91 mph changeup in the dirt that caught him off-balance.

In the seventh inning, however, Downs bounced back against Brewers left-hander Ethan Small.

With one out and runners on first and second, Downs took an 0-1, 92 mph fastball up and on the inner half of the plate and ripped a two-run double to deep left field that left his bat at a scorching 107.7 mph, making it the fourth hardest-hit ball of the day between both sides.

Downs was responsible for two of the three runs the American League scored, as the National League went on to take the showcase by a final score of 8-3.

The soon-to-be 23-year-old — one of three players acquired from the Dodgers in the Mookie Betts/David Price trade — is regarded by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect in Boston’s farm system and trails only fellow infielder Triston Casas for the top spot.

2021 has marked Downs’ first exposure to the Triple-A level, and the first half of the minor-league season has proven to be an adjustment period for the native of Colombia.

Through 44 games (188 plate appearances) with Triple-A Worcester this year, Downs is boasting a .234/.309/.377 slash line (83 wRC+) to go along with three doubles, seven home runs, 17 RBI, 22 runs scored, 17 walks, and 55 strikeouts.

That said, Downs will look to get back on track after a decent showing in Denver, as the WooSox open up a seven-game series against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders at Polar Park on Tuesday night.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Red Sox land highly-regarded shortstop Marcelo Mayer with No. 4 pick in 2021 MLB Draft

The Red Sox have selected Eastlake High School (Calif.) shortstop Marcelo Mayer with their top pick in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft at No. 4 overall.

Mayer, 18, was regarded by Baseball America as the No. 2 prospect headed into the draft, trailing only fellow prep infielder Jordan Lawlar for the top spot.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Mayer is committed to play college baseball at the University of Southern California.

The California native hits from the left side of the plate, throws with his right hand, and was viewed as a potential fit for the Pirates, who wound up selecting Louisville catcher Henry Davis with the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft earlier Sunday night.

Mayer, who does not turn 19 until December, played his high school baseball in Chula Vista, Calif.

In his senior season for the Eastlake Titans, the young infielder slashed an impressive .392/.555/.886 to go along with six doubles, 14 home runs, 45 RBI, 46 runs scored, and 18 stolen bases over 34 games played this spring, per MaxPreps.

According to his Baseball America scouting report, Mayer “is arguably the top defensive shortstop” in this year’s draft class which is loaded at that position.

“He glides around the infield with silky smooth actions and has the hands, footwork and arm strength to stick at shortstop long-term,” his scouting report reads. “He slows the game down and has no problem throwing from multiple angles with an accurate arm. Though he is a below-average runner, he moves fluidly around the dirt and should be at least an above-average defender. 

“He’s a plus hitter with excellent barrel control and extension in his swing and drives balls hard in the air from gap-to-gap. He can turn on good fastballs and drive them off the right-field fence or let pitches on the outer half travel deep and line them hard up the middle or the opposite way. He has fringe-average power now, but could tap into above-average power in the future as he fills out his projectable frame. He controls the strike zone and has a calm, steady presence in the batter’s box.”

By selecting Mayer with the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, the Red Sox have made their earliest selection since 1967, when they took right-hander Mike Garman at No. 3.

This is also the second straight year in which the Red Sox, whose drafting efforts are led by chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and amateur scouting director Paul Toboni, among others, have selected a prep infielder out of California with the club’s top pick, as Nick Yorke was taken off the board at No. 17 last year.

The recommended slot value for the fourth overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft is approximately $6.664 million, while Boston will have approximately $11,359,600 in total bonus pool space to work with when it comes to signing as many picks from Rounds 1 through 20 as they so choose.

While the Red Sox may be done drafting for now (Sunday), they will be on the clock once again on Monday for picks 40, 75, 105, 136, 166, 196, 226, 256, and 286, and then again on Tuesday for picks 316, 346, 376, 406, 436, 466, 496, 526, 556, and 586.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Nick Pivetta falters as Red Sox fall short against Phillies in 5-4 loss to close out first half of season

The Red Sox capped off the first half of their season in disappointing fashion on Sunday afternoon, as their comeback attempt against the Phillies fell short in the form of a 5-4 defeat at Fenway Park.

Xander Bogaerts provided the Sox with an early 1-0 lead by crushing a solo home run — his second in as many days — off Phillies opener Brandon Kintzler in the bottom of the second inning, but that would prove to be the only lead Boston would enjoy on Sunday.

That being the case because Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta got rocked for five runs — four of which were earned — on four hits and two walks to go along with four strikeouts on the afternoon.

Facing off against his former team for the first time since being traded last August, Pivetta likely had revenge on his mind, and it looked like things were going to go his way when he retired the first six batters he faced in order.

The third inning, however, was a different story for the right-hander, as he issued a one-out single to Ronald Torreyes to break up the perfect game before walking Travis Jankowski on 10 pitches and subsequently recording the second out.

Just two strikes away from escaping the jam, Pivetta gave up a hard-hit single to J.T. Realmuto that undoubtedly would have plated one run, but wound plating two on a throwing error made by right fielder Hunter Renfroe.

That sequence saw the Sox’ one-run lead turn into a one-run deficit at 2-1, and the Phillies tacked on even more off Pivetta in their half of the fourth when Torreyes deposited a two-out, three-run homer over the Green Monster, making it a 5-1 contest in favor of the visitors.

Pivetta’s day came to a close after he recorded the final out of the inning, as the 28-year-old finished his outing having thrown just 76 pitches, 48 of which went for strikes. In addition to taking the loss to fall to 7-4 on the year, Pivetta also raised his ERA on the season up to 4.30.

While Pivetta certainly put his side in a less-than-ideal spot, the Red Sox bullpen picked things up the rest of the way, as the likes of Yacksel Rios, Darwinzon Hernandez, Hirokazu Sawamura, Adam Ottavino, and All-Star Matt Barnes combined to toss five innings of scoreless baseball.

That said, the Boston lineup was unable to get anything substantial going offensively, though they certainly had their chances to do so.

After falling behind 5-1 in the fourth, the Sox countered in their half of the fifth by plating a run of their own an RBI groundout off the bat of Alex Verdugo, cutting the deficit down to three runs.

An inning later, Boston threatened once more, this time driving in a pair on back-to-back run-scoring knocks from Bobby Dalbec and Christian Arroyo off Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado to trim Philadelphia’s advantage to just one run at 5-4.

Fast forward to the eighth, and it looked as though the Red Sox were in a prime spot to turn this game on its head, as the bases were loaded with two outs for Verdugo, who was matched up against left-handed reliever Ranger Suarez.

Suarez wound up winning that particular left-on-left battle, though, as he got Verdugo to weakly ground out to second to extinguish the threat.

In the ninth, Suarez was at it again even while going up against the three most dangerous hitters in Boston’s lineup. The lefty punched out J.D. Martinez and Bogaerts, then got Devers to ground out to first to preserve the 5-4 victory for his side, as well as a 5-4 loss for the Red Sox.

All in all, the Sox went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position on Sunday and left 10 men on base as a team.

With the loss, the Red Sox fall to 55-36 on the season and end the unofficial first half of the campaign having dropped four of their last five. They do remain 1 1/2 games up on the Rays for first place in the American League East

Gonzalez removed with right hamstring strain

Marwin Gonzalez was originally in Red Sox manager Alex Cora’s lineup at first base and batting out of the eight-hole, but was forced to exit in between the second and third innings after re-aggravating his right hamstring while running out a ground ball.

Bobby Dalbec replaced Gonzalez at first base.

A trip to the injured list for the veteran utility man seems likely, per Cora.

Next up: All-Star break

The Red Sox will be off for the next three days on account of the All-Star break.

Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez, Nathan Eovaldi, and Matt Barnes will enjoy the festivities in Denver this week, while the rest of the team will prepare for a four-game series against the Yankees that begins in the Bronx on Thursday night.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez is slated to get the ball for Boston in the series opener, while New York has yet to name a starter.

First pitch Thursday is scheduled for 7:08 p.m. eastern time on ESPN.

(Picture of Christian Vazquez and Nick Pivetta: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)