ANAHEIM — Just one day after being named an American League All-Star, Red Sox left-hander Ranger Suarez exited Sunday's 7-5 win against the Angels in the bottom of the third inning due to left adductor and groin tightness.
Suarez departed with two outs in the frame following a ground-ball single by Jo Adell. After a brief injury delay on the field, reliever Greg Weissert entered the game to replace him.
Initial indications pointed to Suárez aggravating the area while making a defensive play, but the left-hander clarified postgame that the discomfort escalated on his subsequent throw.
"Felt a big pinch around the groin area," Suarez said through interpreter Daveson Pérez. "Tried to throw another pitch, but still felt it. So I came out."
Interim manager Chad Tracy noted that the coaching staff tracked the sequence closely on review.
"When he jumped on that ball, you could kind of see it," Tracy said. "We watched the replay. It looked like he jumped on that ball and felt a little something in the groin. And then obviously threw a pitch and felt it on the pitch, like we're not going to continue."
Before his exit, Suarez allowed three runs on six hits over 2 2/3 innings, striking out five without issuing a walk. The Red Sox held a 5-3 lead at the time of his departure, fueled by a three-run home run from Willson Contreras in the top of the third.
The premature exit comes less than 24 hours after Suarez was named an All-Star for the second time in his career. The left-hander was previously selected to the Midsummer Classic in 2024 when he was with Philadelphia, but he was unable to attend or participate due to an injury.
It’s unclear whether this injury will impact his availability to participate in the All-Star Game, and Suarez emphasized that his immediate focus remains entirely on his availability for the Red Sox’s stretch run rather than the upcoming festivities in Philadelphia.
"No, not thinking about that," Suarez said. "For me, the most important thing is just to be as healthy as possible for the second half. So no, not thinking about anything other than that."
The team has not yet determined whether Suarez will require a stint on the injured list or an immediate MRI, choosing instead to utilize Monday's off-day to evaluate how the groin responds to initial treatment.
"I don't have a feel on it yet," Tracy said, regarding a potential IL decision. "Things like that pop up and then you check the next day and they get better quick. It's hard to say right now until we see how he feels coming out of it tomorrow. With an off-day, we'll be able to check back on him."
Suarez noted that his condition felt unchanged a few hours after leaving the game, and the medical staff will monitor his progress over the next 48 hours before dictating the next steps.
"It's only been [about] two hours," Suarez said. "[So] the training staff wants to wait to see how I feel tomorrow and the next day, and then we'll make a decision on where we go from there."