BOSTON -- Leadoff hitter Alex Verdugo, perhaps the bright spot of the season for the Red Sox, was removed from Friday night’s game at Fenway Park in the top of the fourth inning for precautionary reasons with left hamstring tightness.

"Tight hamstring," manager Ron Roenicke said after the Red Sox's 6-5 loss to the Yankees in 12 innings. "He could have gone back out and played. But I talked to the trainers. To put him out there when he has a tight hamstring, it’s kind of grabbing on him, it just didn’t make sense. If he ends up pulling it, then he’s probably done for the year. I didn’t want to take that chance."

After sliding into second base awkwardly in the bottom of the third, Verdugo grabbed at the hamstring. On a grounder to third by Xander Bogaerts, Verdugo was clearly limping from second base before he was forced out.

He then went into the clubhouse with a trainer and was replaced in right field by Tzu-Wei Lin to open the fourth.

Verdugo went 1-for-2 before departing to raise his average to .328. He has six homers and 14 RBIs and has been tremendous in the outfield.