Tag: injuries

Top Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata heads to Triple-A Worcester’s injured list with shoulder inflammation

Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata has been placed on Triple-A Worcester’s 7-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo.

Mata exited his start against the Rochester Red Wings early on Tuesday. The right-hander appeared to be in visible discomfort after delivering a 1-0, 86.2 mph fastball to Franklin Barreto with one out and one runner on in the bottom of the third inning at Innovative Field.

After WooSox catcher Jorge Alfaro motioned to the visitor’s dugout, a conference on the mound ensued. Mata then left the field with a trainer and was replaced by Jake Faria, who allowed both runners he inherited to score in what would go down as a 7-3 loss to the Red Wings.

Up until that point in the contest, Mata had yielded six runs (four earned) on six hits and three walks to go along with five strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings of work. The 24-year-old finished with 49 pitches (29 strikes). He topped out at 99.1 mph with his slider, an offering that accounted for four of the five swings-and-misses he induced.

Following Tuesday’s injury-shortened outing, Mata now owns an 0-3 record and 5.61 FIP with 27 walks to 26 strikeouts in seven starts (25 2/3 innings) for the WooSox so far this season. Despite those unimpressive numbers, the native Venezuelan is still regarded by publications such as Baseball America as the top pitching prospect in Boston’s farm system.

Originally signed as an international free agent coming out of Maracay for just $25,000 in January 2016, Mata was added to the Sox’ 40-man roster in November 2020 to receive protection from Rule 5 Draft eligibility. He tore the UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) in his right elbow the following March and underwent Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter.

After missing all of the 2021 season, Mata returned to action last June as part of a rehab assignment with Low-A Salem. He made one start for Salem, three starts for High-A Greenville, and nine starts (10 total appearances) for Double-A Portland before earning a promotion to Worcester in late August.

Since then, Mata has forged a 4.59 ERA with 52 strikeouts to 46 walks in 12 starts (49 innings) with the WooSox. Alongside the likes of lefties Brandon Walter and Chris Murphy, who are also on the 40-man roster, Mata represents legitimate big-league pitching depth for the Red Sox at the club’s top affiliate.

With that being said, though, Mata has just one minor-league option remaining, meaning this is the final year the Red Sox can freely shuttle the righty between Boston and Worcester without having to first expose him to waivers.

Even before this latest setback, there were signs that Mata could transition to a bullpen role in the near future since he has power stuff but has had difficulty in harnessing it effectively. Depending on how long he is out for (the hope is the issue isn’t too serious), that scenario could become a reality if the Red Sox want to get a look at Mata at the major-league level before season’s end.

(Picture of Bryan Mata: Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Red Sox place Garrett Whitlock on 15-day injured list with right elbow ulnar neuritis, recall Brayan Bello from Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have placed right-hander Garrett Whitlock on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow neuritis, the club announced prior to Friday’s series opener against the Guardians at Fenway Park. In a corresponding move, fellow righty Brayan Bello was recalled from Triple-A Worcester.

Whitlock was originally scheduled to start opposite Zach Plesac on Saturday, but that responsibility will now fall to Bello. The 26-year-old began the season on the injured list after getting a late start in spring training as he continued to recover from a right hip arthroscopy last September.

After making two minor-league rehab starts, Whitlock made his season debut for Boston on April 11 in Tampa Bay. He has since pitched to a 6.19 ERA and 5.98 FIP with 11 strikeouts to three walks over three starts spanning 16 innings of work in which opponents are batting .312 against him.

Whitlock told reporters (including The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier) on Friday that he felt something “akin to a numbness or tingling two side sessions ago, and had felt it sporadically when throwing pitches since.” More specifically, he felt it “a couple of times” during his last start against the Brewers this past Saturday.

Though Whitlock — who has yet to have an MRI — was unable to provide any sort of recovery timetable, he did say there were no concerns pertaining to Tommy John surgery, which he first underwent in July 2019 after tearing his right UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) while still a member of the Yankees organization.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora added further details, indicating that there is not too much concern about Whitlock and that the team is hopeful he will only miss two starts before returning to action. Of course, that all depends on how he responds to treatment in the coming days. Cora also said the Red Sox still view Whitlock as a starter as opposed to a reliever moving forward.

Because his stint on the injured list was backdated to April 25, Whitlock will not be eligible to be activated until Wednesday, May 10 at the earliest. The Red Sox have two off days (one before and one after their two-game series against the Braves) that week, so they could look to take advantage of that schedule flexibility as it pertains to their rotation when the time comes.

In the meantime, Bello will fill in for Whitlock and make his third start of the season on Saturday. Like his counterpart, Bello also began the year on the injured list after being slowed by right forearm tightness during spring training. He made just one rehab start for Worcester and made his season debut on April 17.

Bello has since posted a 9.82 ERA and 6.35 FIP with eight strikeouts to three walks in two starts (7 1/3 innings) against the Angels at home and the Brewers on the road. Though he showed signs of improvement in Milwaukee over the weekend, the 23-year-old was optioned on Monday as the Red Sox went from a six-man to a five-man starting rotation and added another lefty to the bullpen mix by calling up Brennan Bernardino from the WooSox.

It turns out that Bello’s stay in Worcester was shorter than expected since he is replacing an injured player on the roster. Regardless, the Dominican-born hurler will now rejoin a Red Sox rotation that includes Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, Tanner Houck, and Nick Pivetta.

(Picture of Garrett Whitlock: John Fisher/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Yu Chang undergoes successful hand surgery

Red Sox infielder Yu Chang underwent a successful left hamate excision on Thursday, the club announced. The procedure was performed by Dr. Matthew Leibman at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Chang fractured his left hamate bone (a hook-like structure between the hand and the wrist) on a swing-and-miss in the seventh inning of Monday’s 5-4 loss to the Orioles in Baltimore. He was placed on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday and told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) shortly thereafter that he expected to be sidelined for approximately six weeks.

“I feel grateful to play shortstop every day,” Chang said through translator Patrick Chu. “I appreciate the team giving me the opportunity to play there every day, to prove myself. But now, the unfortunate thing happened.”

Chang, 27, signed a one-year, $850,000 deal with the Red Sox in February after appearing in 11 games for the club season. The Taiwan native did not report to spring training in Fort Myers until late March, however, as he was delayed by visa issues after playing for Chinese Taipei and earning Pool A MVP honors in the World Baseball Classic.

Despite the lack of time with the team in camp, Chang still made Boston’s Opening Day roster. The right-handed hitter was used sparingly off the bench out of the gate, but he was thrust into action after Adam Duvall fractured his left wrist on April 9 and Enrique Hernandez began playing more center field as a result.

Prior to Tuesday’s injury, Chang had started 10 of the Sox’ last 12 games at shortstop. And although he was slashing just .186/.174/.341 in 47 plate appearances to begin the year, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder was providing some pop with his bat in the form of three home runs in his last eight games. He had also proven to be a quality defender at short, registering three defensive runs saved across 91 innings at the position.

With Chang set to miss the next several weeks, Red Sox manager Alex Cora will be changing up his middle infield mix yet again. According to Cotillo, Hernandez is expected move back to shortstop on a full-time basis while Christian Arroyo and rookie Enmanuel Valdez (who was called up in place of Chang) will split time at second base. Jarren Duran will also play more center field on account of Hernandez’s shift to short.

(Picture of Yu Chang: G Fiume/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Yu Chang leaves game with left wrist injury

Red Sox infielder Yu Chang was forced to exit Monday’s 5-4 loss to the Orioles in the seventh inning with a left wrist injury.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, Chang swung and missed at a 1-1, 80.3 mph slider from Orioles reliever Bryan Baker. Upon completion of his swing, the 27-year-old was clearly wincing in pain, which prompted manager Alex Cora and assistant athletic trainer David Herrera to pay him a visit from the visitor’s dugout.

After a brief conference, Chang was removed from the game and was replaced by Christian Arroyo, who struck out in his place. Arroyo then took over defensively at second base while Enrique Hernandez slid over from second to shortstop for the final two innings.

Chang was later diagnosed with what the Red Sox described as “left wrist pain” and will undergo further testing in Baltimore on Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury. There is some preliminary concern that Chang may have injured his hamate bone, a hook-like structure that forms part of the wrist joint.

“He’s in pain. He’s going to get tested tomorrow,” Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) at Camden Yards. We’ll see where we’re at. Right now, it’s sore. That’s all we can say right now.”

According to Cotillo, who was in the clubhouse after the game, Chang could be seen expressing concern about the potential severity of his injury to a teammate. To that end, it seems likely that Chang will be placed on the injured list and an infielder will be called up from Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday.

Two prime candidates to fill in for Chang are prospects Enmanuel Valdez, who made his major-league debut last week while Chang was out on paternity leave, and the speedy David Hamilton, who currently owns a .997 OPS in his first 17 games with the WooSox this season. Both Valdez and Hamilton are already on Boston’s 40-man roster.

As noted by Cotillo, any serious injury to Chang would further shake up Boston’s middle infield depth since Trevor Story (elbow surgery) and Adalberto Mondesi (ACL rehab) are already on the 60-day injured list. Chang was brought in as a reserve infielder, but he has seen his playing time increase in recent weeks after Adam Duvall broke his left wrist and Hernandez started to log more innings in center field as a result.

Including Monday, Chang had started five straight and 10 of the last 12 games at shortstop for the Red Sox. The versatile 6-foot-1, 180-pounder has provided the club with some surehanded defense across the infield, but he has also showed some signs of life at the plate by making hard contact and homering three times in his last eight games.

(Picture of Yu Chang: Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly to undergo elbow surgery

Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly will require elbow surgery, manager Alex Cora announced to reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) prior to Wednesday’s 10-4 loss to the Twins at Fenway Park.

Kelly will undergo an “ulnar nerve transposition revision” on a date that is still to be determined, according to the team. The right-hander’s UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) and internal brace are still intact.

After injuring his right elbow in last Wednesday’s loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field, Kelly underwent further imaging in Boston on Friday. The 28-year-old’s MRI came back clean, but the Red Sox still sent the results to the physician who performed his internal bracing procedure in May 2020 in order to get a second opinion.

Additionally, Kelly visited an orthopedic surgeon in Alabama in recent days. The result of that visit was the “best case scenario,” per Cotillo.

“The ulnar nerve wasn’t damaged but it’s not attached to whatever it has to be,” Cora said of Kelly. “He’s going to have surgery. We have to wait on when. As far as surgeries, the doctor is backtracked with all that stuff so we have to wait. But he’ll be out for a while.”

Because he underwent an internal bracing procedure on his right elbow in lieu of Tommy John surgery nearly three years ago, Kelly has dealt with this sort of issue before. He was with the Angels at that time and would have missed the entirety of the 2020 minor-league season had it not been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly was released by Los Angeles shortly thereafter and joined the Red Sox as a minor-league free agent that December.

At this point in time, it is not yet known if Kelly will be able to pitch again this season. The righty currently owns a 3.68 ERA with six strikeouts to six walks in his first six relief appearances (7 1/3 innings) of the season after making his first-ever Opening Day roster last month. He was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list this past Sunday.

When he left last Wednesday’s game, Kelly was visibly upset and had tears in his eyes. At that moment, his previous elbow injury and unique journey from going undrafted out of Division II Newberry College to the major-leagues were both on his mind.

“I was definitely emotional for two reasons,” said Kelly. “One, because I care. I care about this game, these guys and I enjoy doing this. Two, just all the shit I went through to get here. It’s just a lot. Whenever something like that happens, you get emotional about it.”

(Picture of Zack Kelly: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Christian Arroyo out ‘a few days’ after tweaking right hamstring on Monday

The Red Sox could be without second baseman Christian Arroyo for the entirety of this week’s three-game series against the Twins at Fenway Park.

Arroyo tweaked his right hamstring while running out a groundball in the third inning of Monday’s 5-4 loss to the Angels. The 27-year-old came up gimpy on the play but he remained in the game until Alex Verdugo pinch-hit for him in the bottom of the ninth.

When speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) earlier Tuesday afternoon, manager Alex Cora indicated that Arroyo was dealing with tightness in his right hamstring and would be held out of action for at least “a few days” as a result.

“He’s doing OK,” Cora said of Arroyo. “We’ll stay away from him today, maybe tomorrow. Kind of like the same situation as [Masataka] Yoshida (who missed four games last week due to hamstring tightness). ” I don’t think it’s an [injured list] thing. We’ll take care of him and he will be ready in a few days.”

Arroyo has not gotten off to the best of starts at the plate this season. Through his first 16 games, the right-handed hitter has batted just .160/.192/.200 with two doubles, three RBIs, three runs scored, one stolen base, two walks, and 13 strikeouts in 53 plate appearances. He has, however, provided quality defense at second base thus far.

With Arroyo out of the lineup for Tuesday’s series opener against Minnesota, Enrique Hernandez will start at second (his third different position this season) for Boston. Additionally, Yu Chang will start at shortstop alongside Hernandez while Jarren Duran will get the start in center.

(Picture of Christian Arroyo: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly emotional after leaving game with elbow injury

Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly left Wednesday’s game against the Rays with what appeared to be serious arm injury.

Kelly, who took over for starter Chris Sale in the fifth inning, had allowed two runs on two hits and a walk before facing Yandy Diaz with two outs. The right-hander plunked the Rays’ leadoff hitter with a 2-2, 81 mph changeup — the 23rd pitch of his outing.

While Diaz was in the process of taking his base, Kelly removed his glove and began grabbing at his right elbow. He then went into a crouch and became emotional as Red Sox manager Alex Cora and a member of the team’s training staff rushed to the pitcher’s mound to see what was wrong.

With tears in his eyes, Kelly left the field under his own power and made his way back towards the visitor’s clubhouse alongside Cora and a trainer. The Red Sox later described Kelly’s injury as “right elbow pain” but could not provide a more specific diagnosis.

When speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) following the Red Sox’ 9-7 loss to the Rays on Wednesday night, Cora indicated that Kelly would undergo further testing back in Boston on Friday. Until then, there will be uncertainty surrounding the 28-year-old’s status for the rest of the season.

“It’s the elbow, he had surgery a few years ago,” Cora said. “Tough to see. Hopefully, there’s nothing wrong.”

Kelly, who first joined the Red Sox organization as a minor-league free agent in January 2021, previously underwent elbow surgery in May 2020. More specifically, he had an internal bracing procedure done in lieu of Tommy John surgery after tearing the UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) in his right arm.

Fast forward nearly three years since then, and Kelly said on Wednesday that he felt pain throughout the fifth inning. That pain only got worse and intensified to the point where he could not continue pitching. He did not feel a pop in his elbow, however.

“The last five or six pitches I threw, I felt it a little bit more,” said Kelly. “hat one, I just started turning the changeup over and didn’t really feel like I could turn it over like I’m used to.

“I told (Cora) after, I just tried to get through the inning and didn’t want to quick-start anybody in the bullpen,” he added. “Unfortunately, I just couldn’t do it.”

When asked about what led to him crying on the mound, Kelly responded by saying that his previous elbow injury and his unique journey to the major-leagues were both on his mind at that time.

“I was definitely emotional for two reasons,” he said. “One, because I care. I care about this game, these guys and I enjoy doing this. Two, just all the shit I went through to get here. It’s just a lot. Whenever something like that happens, you get emotional about it.”

A former undrafted free agent out of Division II Newberry College, Kelly made his big-league debut for Boston last August at the age of 27. He posted a 3.95 ERA in 13 appearances (13 2/3 innings) down the stretch and then made his first career Opening Day roster this spring.

Coming into play on Wednesday, Kelly had allowed just one earned run on four hits, five walks, and five strikeouts through his first five outings (6 2/3 innings) of the season. The Virginia native is now expected to be placed on the injured list ahead of Thursday’s series finale against Tampa Bay.

“I don’t want to assume the worst,” Kelly said. “I just want to wait until we get some imaging done and we’ll figure it out from there.”

The Red Sox will need to call up another pitcher to take Kelly’s spot on the roster. Fellow righty Kutter Crawford, who was recently optioned to Triple-A Worcester, is a logical choice under the pretense that he is still with the club.

UPDATE: Kelly was indeed placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation on Thursday. Crawford was called up to take his place on the roster.

(Picture of Zack Kelly: Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Adam Duvall will not require surgery on fractured left wrist, Alex Cora says

Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall will not require surgery on his fractured left wrist, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) following Monday’s 1-0 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field.

“Just a fracture, that’s it,” Cora said. “No surgery. Just put a cast on it and let it heal, and he’ll be back whenever he’s ready.”

Duvall was diagnosed with a distal radius fracture in his left wrist one day after injuring said wrist in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 4-1 win over the Tigers in Detroit. To lead off the bottom half of the frame, Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen got Spencer Torkelson to lift a 244-foot flyball to shallow center field. Duvall ran in and attempted to make a sliding catch to rob Torkelson of a base hit, but he instead landed awkwardly on his wrist and was immediately taken out of the game as a result.

After having X-rays taken at Comerica Park, Duvall flew back to Boston and was evaluated by a hand specialist on Monday. The Red Sox then received word that the 34-year-old would not need to go under the knife.

According to Browne, Duvall could be back in action within the next six to eight weeks since he avoided surgery. Had a surgical procedure been required, the former All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner could have been sidelined for eight to 10 weeks, if not longer.

“It’s great,” said Cora. “We don’t want to go that [surgery] route, of course. I’m glad that this is the worst news for him. He’s going to be back at some point. We just have to be patient, and whenever he’s ready, he’s ready.”

This is the second time within the last year that Duvall has seriously injured his left wrist. While with the Braves last July, he jammed it against the outfield wall at Truist Park and ultimately underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn tendon sheath. Fortunately, this latest injury happened on the other side of the same wrist and is unrelated to last year’s tear.

“It’s on the other side [of the wrist],” Cora said earlier Monday afternoon. “For everything I hear with the procedure he had last year, nothing [related] happened.”

Back in January, Duvall signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Red Sox to serve as the club’s everyday center fielder. The right-handed hitting slugger quickly made his impact felt by batting 455/.514/1.030 with five doubles, one triple, four home runs, 14 RBIs, 11 runs scored, three walks, and five strikeouts in his first eight games (37 plate appearances) with Boston. He earned American League Player of the Week honors for his efforts last Monday.

“It’s interesting because a few weeks ago, not too many people thought it was going to be a big blow. But obviously, the guy is a good player,” said Cora. “We knew when we signed him that he was going to be a good defender and that he was going to put a good at-bat. He worked so hard on a few things with [hitting coach Pete Fatse] to drive the ball to left field.

It’s a big blow but at the same time, somebody has to step up. It’s still early in the season,” he added. “We’ve got time to do our thing, keep playing good baseball like we did this past weekend. Somebody else has to step up. That’s the nature of the business.”

Because Duvall will be out of commission for a while, the Red Sox will need to temporarily fill the void he left behind in center field. To that effect, Cora indicated that Enrique Hernandez, Rob Refsnyder, and Raimel Tapia will all see more playing time in center moving forward.

Since Hernandez is slated to return to center, Christian Arroyo, Yu Chang, and Bobby Dalbec will all get more reps at shortstop. Dalbec, who was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Monday to take Duvall’s spot on the roster, could also see some playing time in the outfield corners alongside Masataka Yoshida and Alex Verdugo.

All things considered, the Red Sox may have the depth to cover for him, but they will nonetheless be tested offensively while Duvall is out of the lineup. They found out that much on Monday night, as they were held to just three hits in a series-opening shutout loss to the unbeaten Rays.

(Picture of Adam Duvall: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Adam Duvall breaks left wrist after trying to make sliding catch on Sunday

Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall has been diagnosed with a distal radius fracture in his left wrist, manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ian Browne) prior to Monday’s series opener against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Duvall injured his left wrist in the ninth inning of Sunday’s 4-1 win over the Tigers in Detroit. To lead off the bottom half of the frame, Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen got Spencer Torkelson to lift a 244-foot flyball to shallow center field. Duvall ran in and attempted to make a sliding catch to rob Torkelson of a base hit, but he instead landed awkwardly on his left wrist and was immediately taken out of the game as a result.

After having X-rays taken at Comerica Park, Duvall did not travel with the rest of the team to St. Petersburg and instead headed back to Boston to undergo further testing. The Red Sox will now place Duvall on the injured list and recall infielder Bobby Dalbec from Triple-A Worcester to take his place on the roster.

Duvall, 34, signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Red Sox in January to serve as the club’s everyday center fielder. The right-handed hitting slugger quickly made his impact felt by slashing a stout .455/.514/1.030 with five doubles, one triple, four home runs, 14 RBIs, 11 runs scored, three walks, and five strikeouts in his first eight games (37 plate appearances) with Boston. He was named American League Player of the Week last Monday.

Though his wrist is broken, it is not yet clear if Duvall will require surgery. The Red Sox, as noted by Browne, will continue to gather more information before coming to a decision on that front. Regardless of that outcome, though, Duvall is still expected to be sidelined for the next several weeks, if not months.

This is the second time within the last year that Duvall has seriously injured his left wrist. While with the Braves last July, he jammed it against the outfield wall at Truist Park and ultimately underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn tendon sheath. According to Cora, this most-recent injury happened on the opposite side of Duvall’s left wrist and is unrelated to last year’s tear.

With Duvall out of commission for the foreseeable future, Cora said Enrique Hernandez, Raimel Tapia, and Rob Refsnyder will get more time in center field in his absence. Refsnyder is batting fifth and starting in center for Boston on Monday night.

Since Hernandez is slated to play more center field, Dalbec, Christian Arroyo, and Yu Chang will see more playing time at shortstop moving forward. Dalbec will also get some reps in the outfield alongside Masataka Yoshida and Alex Verdugo in the corners.

Duvall, meanwhile, becomes the eighth member of the Red Sox’ 40-man roster to be placed on the injured list so far this season, joining the likes of starters Brayan Bello, James Paxton, and Garrett Whitlock, relievers Wyatt Mills and Joely Rodriguez, and infielders Adalberto Mondesi and Trevor Story.

“At one point, we hope, he comes back, just like all of the guys who are on the IL,” Cora said, via MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. “Hopefully, they can contribute throughout the season and help us accomplish what we set out to accomplish.”

(Picture of Adam Duvall: Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

Bobby Dalbec set to meet Red Sox in Tampa Bay in wake of Adam Duvall’s wrist injury

Bobby Dalbec will meet the Red Sox in St. Petersburg on Monday ahead of a four-game series against the undefeated Rays at Tropicana Field, according to MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.

Though no roster move has been announced yet, Dalbec could be activated if outfielder Adam Duvall is placed on the injured list. Duvall was forced to exit Sunday’s 4-1 win over the Tigers in the ninth inning after injuring his left wrist while trying to make a sliding catch in center field. The 34-year-old had X-rays taken after the game but the Red Sox could not provide any further updates and are unlikely to do so until Monday.

“He’s getting X-rays right now, so we don’t know,” Cora told reporters at Comerica Park earlier Sunday afternoon. “We’ll know more during the day and obviously tomorrow.”

Duvall, who signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Red Sox in January, injured that same left wrist while with the Braves last July and ultimately underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn tendon sheath. It appears as if a stint on the injured list is likely.

Dalbec, meanwhile, began the season with Triple-A Worcester after failing to make Boston’s Opening Day roster out of spring training. The 27-year-old has gone 6-for-23 (.261) with one double, one triple, one home run, five RBIs, six runs scored, four walks, and 10 strikeouts in his first seven games with the WooSox while seeing playing time at first base, third base, and shortstop.

As noted by Smith, the Red Sox will be facing a plethora of left-handed starters in their next two series against the Rays and Angels. That is why calling up Dalbec, a right-handed hitter, would make more sense than calling up the left-handed hitting Jarren Duran even if Duran would fill a need in the outfield.

(Picture of Bobby Dalbec: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)