Injuries & Moves: Hamilton (left side soreness) exits early Monday
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June 17: INF David Hamilton exits early due to left side soreness
A day after becoming just the third Red Sox player to steal four bases in a game, Hamilton exited Monday's game in the bottom of the fourth inning with left side soreness. Manager Alex Cora is hopeful the invaluable rookie can avoid a stint on the 10-day injured list. Hamilton has come on at the plate in recent weeks and is third in the American League with 18 stolen bases.
"We'll see how he comes in tomorrow," said Cora. "I think we were proactive, so hopefully it's not an IL stint. He said he felt it pregame, but it wasn't bad. And, then I think in the first swing of [one of his] at-bats, it grabbed him."
June 17: Romy Gonzalez activated from 15-day injured list; Jamie Westbrook optioned to Triple-A Worcester
Gonzalez returned to the Red Sox on Monday after missing the last couple of weeks with a left hamstring strain. The right-handed hitter played in three rehab games with Worcester from Thursday-Saturday, going 6-for-12 with four RBIs, a walk and a stolen base while making two starts at first base and one at DH. Gonzalez came into Monday's game with a .257 average (9-for-35) with six RBIs while making six starts at shortstop, one at first base, one at DH and appearing in two games in right field and one at third base. He was claimed off waivers from the White Sox on January 31.
To make room for Gonzalez, the Red Sox sent Westbrook back to Worcester. Westbrook's call-up last month was one of the feel-good stories of the season; he had spent 11 years in the Minors before finally making it to the Majors. The 28-year-old got into 11 games, going 4-for-18 with a double, a homer, four RBIs and two walks.
June 16: RHP Chris Martin joins team in Toronto, could be activated Tuesday
Martin, who went on the 15-day injured list on June 5 (retroactive to June 2) with anxiety, joined the Red Sox for their road trip in Toronto after pitching in a Minor League rehab game on Sunday. It's likely he will be activated for Tuesday's game. Martin has also been managing a left shoulder injury for most of the season.
"I'm going to do some things today to really test it out," said Martin. "I'm going to work out really hard and see how I recover tomorrow. Obviously I've been battling a left shoulder deal that I've been rehabbing that is starting to trend in the right direction. That's a plus. Obviously that's not the reason I'm on the IL. I've been managing some things, anxiety and things were the possible reason for the fatigue I was feeling. I'm trending in the right direction there, so that's obviously a plus."
10-DAY/15-DAY INJURED LIST
RHP Chris Martin (anxiety)
Expected return: June 18
Martin, who went on the 15-day injured list on June 5 (retroactive to June 2) with anxiety, worked out at Rogers Centre on June 17 and could be in line to be activated for the second game of this three-game series against the Blue Jays. He pitched one scoreless inning for Triple-A Worcester on June 16, allowing no hits while walking one. He is likely to be activated on June 18. (Last updated: June 17)
2B Vaughn Grissom (right hamstring strain)
Expected return: July
Grissom, who missed the first 32 games of the season with a left hamstring strain, injured his right hamstring running out a grounder to third base on June 1. According to manager Alex Cora, Grissom is doing everything baseball related but not sprinting at full speed.
“Right now he's still weak with the hammy," said Cora. "We’re trying to build him up so that’s where we’re at.” (Last updated: June 17)
RHP Bryan Mata (right lat strain)
Expected return: TBD
Mata suffered a right lat strain making a Minor League rehab appearance on May 23 while he was in the final stages of recovering from a right hamstring strain. He started another rehab assignment on June 16 at Double-A Portland, pitching two scoreless innings. Mata's rehab assignment can go a maximum of 30 days.
Mata, ranked as Boston's No. 27 prospect by MLB Pipeline, is out of options, meaning he needs to be placed on the Major League roster once he is healthy to avoid being designated for assignment. (Last updated: June 17)
OF Wilyer Abreu (right ankle sprain)
Expected return: Possibly June 21-23 in Cincy
Abreu will start a Minor League rehab assignment for Triple-A Worcester on June 18, and he is expected to be there for two days. If there are no hiccups, the Red Sox could activate him on June 21 for the opener of a three-game series in Cincinnati. The rookie ran the bases at full speed prior to the June 15 game against the Yankees. (Last updated: June 16)
60-DAY INJURED LIST
1B Triston Casas (torn cartilage in left rib cage)
Expected return: No earlier than July 2
Casas, who suffered torn cartilage in his left rib cage when he fouled off a pitch on April 20, took a step forward on June 15 when he took 30 dry swings. The big step will be when Casas swings at full force while impacting the baseball. He is hopeful he can return on July 2, when the Red Sox open a series in Miami against the Marlins. Casas was born and raised in South Florida and still lives there in the offseason. (Last updated: June 15)
RHP Garrett Whitlock (damaged UCL in right elbow)
Expected return: 2025
Whitlock will not pitch again until some point in 2025 after he had his UCL repaired by Dr. Jeffrey Dugas in Birmingham, Ala., on May 30. On the bright side, the righty avoided Tommy John surgery and instead underwent an internal brace repair, a procedure that has become more frequent for pitchers with UCL injuries.
Whitlock had a 1-0 record and 1.96 ERA in four starts for the Red Sox this season. He was transferred to the 60-day IL on June 2. (Last updated: June 2)
RHP Liam Hendriks (right UCL surgery)
Expected return: Late July/early August
After signing with the Red Sox in February, Hendriks said his goal of coming back from Tommy John surgery would be right around the July 30 Trade Deadline. Hendriks has been playing catch on a daily basis. In Hendriks, who is also signed for next season, Boston will get a reliever who has been dominant in the past.
It will be interesting to see how he is utilized in a bullpen that also includes Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen, though both of those pitchers have expiring contracts at the end of the season. (Last updated: May 2)
SS Trevor Story (dislocated left shoulder)
Expected return: 2025
Story underwent surgery on April 12. According to a statement from the Red Sox, Story "underwent a successful arthroscopic repair of the posterior labrum, with an open reduction and internal fixation of the fracture of the glenoid rim. The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache."
Story won't play again until next season. Story dislocated his shoulder diving for a ball on April 5 in Anaheim. He was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL on April 19. (Last updated: April 19)
LHP Chris Murphy (left UCL)
Expected Return: 2025
Murphy, who came up as a starter before being converted into a multi-inning reliever last season, underwent successful reconstruction of the left ulnar collateral ligament (elbow). Dr. Keith Meister performed the surgery at Texas Metroplex Institute for Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery in Arlington. (Last updated: April 10)
RHP Lucas Giolito (right UCL surgery)
Expected Return: 2025
Giolito was moved to the 60-day injured list on March 24. He underwent surgery to repair his right elbow ulnar collateral ligament on March 12 after two Grapefruit League starts (4 1/3 innings). (Last updated: March 24)