BOSTON -- A fastball struck first baseman Steve Pearce just below the left shin, leaving the right-handed hitter in enormous pain in the bottom of the first inning on Thursday night at Fenway Park.
Pearce initially stayed in the game after being hit by J.A. Happ's 94.1-mph fastball, drawing a nice hand from the crowd, but was replaced on defense by Blake Swihart in the top of the third.
X-rays were negative, and Pearce was diagnosed with a contusion. He is day to day.
"We'll see how he feels," said manager Alex Cora following his team's 6-4 win. "He wants to play [on Friday], but we've got to be careful."
Pearce has been on fire since joining the Red Sox in a trade from the Blue Jays, hitting .458 with four doubles, a homer and five RBIs.
The Red Sox mainly use Pearce against left-handed starters.