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Red Sox Place Garrett Whitlock On Injured List Due To Oblique Strain

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The Red Sox announced to reporters, including Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, that right-hander Garrett Whitlock has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique strain. Left-hander Joe Jacques has been recalled to take his spot on the roster for now.

Whitlock, 28 in June, exited last night’s game with some tightness in the oblique. Per manager Álex Cora, as relayed by McCaffrey in the tweet above, Whitlock fought the club to stay on the active roster but the Sox made the decision for him, not wanting him to make the injury worse.

That perhaps suggests that the issue is minor and that Whitlock will be back in a couple of weeks, but it’s a tough blow for the Red Sox nonetheless. He was off to a strong start to the season, having posted an earned run average of 1.96 through his first four starts, though he wasn’t going to maintain a .265 batting average on balls in play nor an 87.4% strand rate.

Still, the Sox are facing a number of challenges in the rotation. Lucas Giolito and Chris Murphy are out for the year due to elbow surgeries while Nick Pivetta is currently on the shelf with a flexor strain. With Whitlock now out of action as well, the rotation is down to Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck and Cooper Criswell. They will need to find someone else to replace Whitlock but Cora didn’t tip his hand to McCaffrey about who that would be.

Veteran Chase Anderson is with the big league club and could be an option since his first two appearances were three innings each, though his last outing was just one inning and the previous appearance was just two. Naoyuki Uwasawa is on the 40-man roster but has a 6.30 ERA through his first two Triple-A starts. Wikelman Gonzalez is on the 40-man but he’s in Double-A and didn’t make it out of the first innings in his most recent start at that level.

Jacques tossed 26 2/3 innings for the Sox last year with a 5.06 ERA. He’ll give the Sox another lefty in their bullpen for the time being but perhaps find himself optioned back out in the coming days when the club decides on the move to replace Whitlock in the rotation.

Red Sox Place Romy Gonzalez, Isaiah Campbell On Injured List

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The Red Sox announced that infielder Romy Gonzalez has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 11) due to a left wrist sprain.  This move comes a day after another IL placement, as Boston sent right-hander Isaiah Campbell to the 15-day injured list Friday due to a right shoulder impingement.  Infielder Bobby Dalbec was called up from Triple-A to replace Campbell, while righty Cooper Criswell was promoted today from Triple-A in Gonzalez’s spot.

As manager Alex Cora told The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey and other reporters, Campbell kept his shoulder discomfort private but his attempts to pitch through the issue had disastrous consequences.  Campbell allowed eight earned runs over two innings of work in relief appearances on Wednesday and Thursday, quickly halting what had been a positive start to Campbell’s Red Sox tenure.  Acquired from the Mariners for Luis Urias back in November, Campbell had a 2.08 ERA over his first 4 1/3 innings and five appearances in a Boston uniform.  The righty will now be sidelined for at least the next two weeks, and the severity of the impingement isn’t yet known.

While Campbell worked out of the bullpen, Criswell will act as a spot starter in today’s game against the Angels, filling in after Nick Pivetta went on the 15-day IL earlier this week.  Today’s start will mark Criswell’s Boston debut after signing a one-year, $1MM free agent deal with the club after the Rays non-tendered the right-hander in November.  There’s some full-circle significance in facing Los Angeles since the Angels drafted Criswell in the 13th round in 2018, and he made his MLB debut in a Halos uniform in 2021.  After tossing 4 2/3 innings in cup-of-coffee fashion over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Criswell got a longer look with Tampa last season and posted a 5.73 ERA over 33 innings, often working as a bulk pitcher behind an opener.

Gonzalez is another offseason acquisition, picked up from the White Sox on a waiver claim in January.  Gonzalez played in two games with Boston before hurting his wrist in a fall during Wednesday’s game.  X-rays were negative on Gonzalez’s wrist, but an IL stint has been deemed necessary to give the infielder some time to fully heal up.

Dalbec’s addition can shore up the infield mix to some extent, but Gonzalez is now the fourth infield option on Boston’s injured list, joining Trevor Story, Vaughn Grissom, and utilityman Rob Refsnyder.  Story will miss the entire season in the wake of shoulder surgery, while Grissom (hamstring strain) and Refsnyder (broken toe) have started minor league rehab assignments.  Grissom and Refsnyder are tentatively on pace to be activated off the IL in late April, though Grissom’s timeline is a little uncertain since injuries prevented from playing whatsoever during Spring Training.

The impact of so many missing infielders is evident in Boston’s glovework, as McCaffrey notes that the defense has essentially fallen apart since Story was sidelined.  The Red Sox are near the bottom of the league in Outs Above Average (-5) and Defensive Runs Saved (-7), and their 16 errors is tied for the most in baseball.

Three of those errors came in yesterday’s 7-0 loss to the Angels, and the lineup was also missing Rafael Devers.  Due to nagging soreness in his left shoulder, Devers has missed Boston’s last two games and will also sit out of today’s contest.

“I’ve been feeling it since Spring Training,” Devers told MLB.com and other media yesterday.  “But every time I was swinging, I was feeling it a little bit more and more.  So for me, I think like two or three days [off] could be enough.  I hope it doesn’t keep bothering me after these two or three days, but that’s something I can’t control.  That’s why I’m just trying to keep working to get stronger, to get my shoulder back in a good way.”

It’s safe to say that Devers’ shoulder has contributed to the third baseman’s slow start, as Devers is hitting just .184/.326/.395 over his first 46 plate appearances.  This relative lack of production has contributed to the lineup’s inconsistency, as the Red Sox have had trouble scoring runs despite hot starts from Tyler O’Neill and Jarren Duran.

Trevor Story Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

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April 12: Boston announced that Story underwent successful surgery to repair his posterior labrum as well as an internal fixation of the fracture of his glenoid rim.

April 9: Speaking to reporters on Tuesday morning before the Red Sox home opener, manager Alex Cora said there is “concern” regarding the “bone structure” of Trevor Story’s shoulder (per Speier). Story landed awkwardly on his shoulder during last Friday’s game against the Angels and wound up on the 10-day injured list the next day with what the team called a “left shoulder dislocation.” The shortstop will meet with noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache for a second opinion, with shoulder surgery a possibility (per Speier). Story will have surgery to repair a fractured glenoid, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told reporters (including Alex Speier of The Boston Globe). His timetable to return is roughly six months, so he will miss the remainder of the regular season.

According to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, Cora plans to run with a pair of platoons in the middle infield going forward. The lefty-batting David Hamilton and righty-batting Romy Gonzalez will split time at shortstop, while the lefty-batting Pablo Reyes and righty-batting Enmanuel Valdez share duties at second base. Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela is another option for either position. While Rafaela already looks like a Gold Glove-caliber defender in center, the Red Sox have significantly more outfield depth than infield depth right now. Jarren Duran can slide over to center field, while Tyler O’Neill and Wilyer Abreu cover the corners.

Finally, Cora also mentioned that Vaughn Grissom will take reps at shortstop during his upcoming rehab assignment (per Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe). The plan is still for Grissom to primarily play second base (per McCaffrey), but he has plenty of minor league experience at short, and the Red Sox could be all hands on deck if their veteran shortstop goes under the knife.

Story knew right away he had a “significant injury” (per Christopher Smith of MassLive) but, as of the weekend, had not yet given up hope that he would return in 2024. Unfortunately, the second opinion he receives from Dr. ElAttrache could mark the end of his season. Brewers outfielder Garrett Mitchell needed surgery after a similar injury last April and returned for just the final four games of the year.

Breslow: Red Sox Aren’t Close On Additional Extensions

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After a quiet winter, the Red Sox have made a pair of long-term commitments to key young players. Since the start of Spring Training, Boston has inked starter Brayan Bello and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela to extensions. On the heels of finalizing an eight-year, $50MM agreement with Rafaela, Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow suggested no other such deals were imminent.

“(It’s) impossible to handicap perfectly what the chances are of getting another deal across the line. I would say, I don’t see anything as particularly close right now,” Breslow told reporters (link via Rob Bradford of WEEI). “I do think it makes sense at some point to focus on the season and give players some clarity around what they’re trying to accomplish every day and give us a chance to kind of assess more broadly what we’re trying to accomplish, what our vision is. So I wouldn’t ever say never, but I think it’s unlikely.”

That’s probably most relevant with regards to first baseman Triston Casas. The former first-round pick has previously indicated that the Sox and his camp at MVP Sports Group have kept up dialogue. Casas reiterated to Bradford on Wednesday that he’s hopeful of remaining in Boston for the long haul, although he said he’s unsure about the current status of negotiations. Casas indicated he’s taking a hands-off approach, telling his representatives that while they’re free to continue discussions during the season, he’s not interested in being updated each time the sides float contract parameters.

In any case, Breslow’s comments imply there’s a gap between the team’s comfort level and the asking price being floated by Casas’ camp. There’s not a ton of urgency. Boston controls the lefty-hitting first baseman through 2028. He won’t be eligible for arbitration for another two seasons. Even if the sides were to table discussions while the season is ongoing, there’d be plenty of time for a new set of negotiations next spring.

Breslow wasn’t specifically addressing the status of negotiations with Casas. Tanner Houck, Jarren Duran and Vaughn Grissom are among other pre-arbitration players whom the Sox could have interest in securing on a long-term deal. Whether they’ve opened discussions with anyone from that group isn’t clear.

Getting the Bello and Rafaela deals done already marks an active spring on the extension front. As shown on MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, the Sox are the only team to extend more than one pre-arbitration player since the start of last offseason. That marks something of a shift in organizational operating procedure. Before this spring, Garrett Whitlock was the only pre-arbitration player to sign an extension with the Red Sox in over a decade.

Chris Murphy Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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The Red Sox announced today that left-hander Chris Murphy underwent a successful reconstruction of the left ulnar collateral ligament, also known as Tommy John surgery. It was reported a few weeks ago that the lefty had damaged the ligament and he is already on the 60-day injured list.

Murphy, 26 in June, made his major league debut with the Sox last year. He tossed 47 2/3 innings over 20 appearances with an earned run average of 4.91, though better underlying numbers. His 23.1% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate and 44.7% ground ball rate were all pretty close to league average but his .321 batting average on balls in play and 67.2% strand rate were on the unlucky side. His 3.70 FIP and 3.88 SIERA were each more than a run better than his ERA.

That big league work was all out of the bullpen but he had been working as a starter in the minor leagues. With two remaining option years, he could have either continued working out of the big league bullpen or perhaps been sent to Triple-A for some rotation depth. The Sox didn’t need to make that decision once the ligament damage was discovered. Now that Murphy has gone under the knife, he will unfortunately have to miss the entire season and likely a decent chunk of 2025 as well.

If there’s one silver lining for Murphy, it’s that he will remain on the injured list all year, collecting big league pay and service time. He’ll look to get healthy and get his career back on track next year, likely around his 27th birthday.

For the Sox, this adds to a growing pile of injuries to their rotation options. Lucas Giolito will also miss the 2024 campaign after undergoing elbow surgery while Nick Pivetta recently landed on the IL due to a flexor strain. For now, the club has Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock in four rotation spots, though that group is fairly lacking in experience. None of those four hurlers have more than 265 career innings at the big league level nor have they ever hit 160 in an individual campaign.

The Sox are hoping Pivetta’s issue is mild but they will need to cover his rotation spot for a few turns regardless. Both Josh Winckowski and Chase Anderson made long relief appearances recently and could perhaps be stretch out fairly easily while Cooper Criswell and Naoyuki Uwasawa are the 40-man roster but currently on optional assignment.

Red Sox Extend Ceddanne Rafaela

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April 10: The Red Sox have announced Rafaela’s extension. It’s an eight-year deal covering the 2024-31 seasons and also contains a previously unreported club option for a ninth season in 2032.

Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports the annual breakdown. Rafaela receives a $2MM signing bonus before earning salaries of $1MM in 2024, $1MM in 2025, $2MM in 2026, $3.5MM in 2027, $5.5MM in 2028, $7.5MM in 2029, $10.5MM in 2030 and $13MM in 2031. The club option is valued at $16MM and comes with a $4MM buyout.

April 8: The Red Sox have agreed to an extension with outfielder/second baseman Ceddanne Rafaela, reports Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. It’s an eight-year, $50MM pact for the MVP Sports Group client, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (as relayed by Ian Browne of MLB.com). Rafaela is the second young, core player the team has locked up in the past few weeks; Boston also signed righty Brayan Bello to a six-year, $55MM deal in late March.

Rafaela, 23, has ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects entering each of the past two seasons. He made his big league debut in 2023 won the center field job in Boston with a strong spring showing in 2024. Through his first 124 big league plate appearances, Rafaela is a .239/.282/.389 hitter, though his minor league track record features far more promising numbers. Rafaela split the majority of the 2023 campaign between Double-A and Triple-A, where he logged a combined .302/.349/.520 slash with 20 homers, 31 doubles, three triples and 36 stolen bases (in 49 tries).

Listed at just 5’9″ and 152 pounds, Rafaela is small in stature but certainly not short on talent. Scouting reports laud him as a potential plus center fielder; Baseball America and MLB.com both call him a Gold Glove-caliber defender there, and The Athletic’s Keith Law wrote that Rafaela “has a chance to be the most valuable outfield defender in baseball” when ranking him 32nd among all MLB prospects this spring. Rafaela couples that defensive upside with plus speed and enough power to project for double-digit home runs in the big leagues, even if he’s more of a gap hitter than a true slugger.

While Rafaela struck out as a generally manageable 21% clip in the upper minors last season, he doesn’t have a particularly patient approach at the plate. He walked in just 5.4% of his plate appearances last season — his second straight minor league campaign with a walk rate around 5%. He’s drawn a free pass in just 4.8% of his big league plate appearances to date. Barring an evolution in his approach at the dish, Rafaela could post middling on-base percentages in the majors, but his defensive prowess, speed and power contributions should offset any potential OBP deficiency.

As shown in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, the pre-arbitration extensions for Rafalea and Bello mark a notable change in philosophy from a Red Sox club that has eschewed long-term deals for players who are relatively unproven in the big leagues. From 2012 through 2021, the Red Sox didn’t give out a single pre-arb extension. Their 2022 deal with righty Garrett Whitlock (four years, $18.75MM with two club options) was their first extension for a player prior to arbitration eligibility since Clay Buchholz way back in 2011.

The Sox haven’t shied away from extensions entirely, but long-term deals for Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, Chris Sale and Rick Porcello were far more expensive deals that came after those players had solidified themselves as big leaguers worth annual values of $20MM or more. Even the original Bogaerts deal, which was considered wildly club-friendly, was valued at six years and $120MM.

Perhaps the eventual loss of Bogaerts, coupled with high-profile departures of Mookie Betts, Jon Lester and others over the years, pushed Sox ownership to become more aggressive on early-career extensions. Maybe they’ve become increasingly dissatisfied with pricey free-agent deals that haven’t gone to plan (e.g. Trevor Story, David Price, Lucas Giolito). Or perhaps they simply looked at the rising price for young talent around the league and opted to become more proactive. Whatever the reason, they’re beginning to lock up some promising and affordable contributors to join Devers in comprising the long-term core.

Rafaela is just one of several extension candidates on the Red Sox, and with two deals now hammered out, it seems increasingly plausible others could yet follow. Most notably, first baseman Triston Casas and righty Tanner Houck have both spoken about their openness to extensions. Other pre-arb players who could feasibly be considered for long-term deals include left fielder Jarren Duran and righty Kutter Crawford.

Red Sox Place Nick Pivetta On IL With Right Flexor Strain

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12:20 pm: Pivetta’s flexor strain is mild, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow tells reporters (including Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe). The right-hander could come off the IL as soon he is eligible, barring any setbacks. In the meantime, the Red Sox will skip Pivetta’s turn in the rotation when off days allow and fill in the gaps with either Chase Anderson or Cooper Criswell.

11:56 am: The Red Sox have placed starting pitcher Nick Pivetta on the 15-day injured list with a right flexor strain, the team announced. The IL stint is retroactive to April 6. Brennan Bernardino has been recalled from Triple-A Worcester to fill Pivetta’s spot on the active roster.

It’s been a rough day for the Red Sox so far. Earlier this morning, manager Alex Cora revealed that shortstop Trevor Story is headed for an appointment with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache due to “concern with the bone structure” of his shoulder. His 2024 season could be in jeopardy. The possibility of losing Story and Pivetta will loom large over the Red Sox’s home opener today at Fenway Park.

Elbow problems are always worrisome, especially for pitchers, and especially given the recent rash of injuries to star hurlers like Spencer Strider, Shane Bieber, and Eury Pérez. Pivetta was expected to take the mound tomorrow against the Orioles. Now, he is not eligible to rejoin the Red Sox until April 20. There is currently no timeline for his return. However, it’s getting hard to hear the words “flexor strain” and not prepare for the worst.

Twins right-hander Anthony DeSclafani recently underwent season-ending flexor tendon surgery. Rays righty Drew Rasmussen missed most of the 2023 season and remains on the IL after suffering a flexor strain last May. At the time, he hoped to be back for the stretch run in August and September, but eventually, he needed an internal brace procedure to repair his elbow. To make things worse, flexor tendon injuries often cooccur with UCL injuries. Dodgers starter Walker Buehler initially landed on the IL with a flexor strain in June 2022; two months later, he went under the knife for Tommy John.

A perennial breakout candidate, Pivetta, 31, often underperforms his advanced metrics; he has a career 4.81 ERA and 4.00 SIERA. Still, he has blossomed into a reliable arm for the Red Sox, tossing 498 1/3 innings with a 4.26 ERA and 6.2 FanGraphs WAR since 2020. He has pitched at least 140 innings in each of the past three seasons, and his only previous trips to the IL were due to COVID-19 protocols in 2021. The righty looked especially sharp in his first two starts this season, giving up a lone earned run while striking out 13 and walking just one over 11 innings of work.

The Red Sox, already without Lucas Giolito for the season, will be hard-pressed to replace Pivetta in the rotation if his flexor strain proves to be serious. For his part, Pivetta’s injury could not have come at a worse moment. He is set to reach free agency for the first time this offseason.

Red Sox Were Finalists For James Paxton This Winter

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The Red Sox largely failed in their pursuit of starting pitching this winter, swapping lefty Chris Sale out for Lucas Giolito only for the latter to miss the entire 2024 season due to a UCL injury, making right-handed depth options Chase Anderson and Cooper Criswell the club’s only starters added this winter with a chance to impact the 2024 club. The club coming up empty is not an indication they weren’t involved in the pitching market at all, however, with Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reporting that the club was a finalist for southpaw James Paxton, per the lefty himself.

Paxton, 35, spent the past two seasons in the Red Sox organization but only pitched in 2023. He made 19 starts for the club last year, pitching to a 4.50 ERA (101 ERA+) and 4.68 FIP overall. While he posted a strong 2.73 ERA and 3.63 FIP in ten starts prior to the All Star break, Paxton’s brutal final three starts in August and September caused his numbers to balloon as he allowed a whopping 17 runs in 9 2/3 innings of work before being shut down for the season due to knee inflammation.

Abraham relays that, according to the left-hander, there was mutual interest in a reunion between his camp and the Red Sox before he ultimately settled on pitching closer to his West Coast home in Seattle. Adding the veteran southpaw to Boston’s heavily young and right-handed rotation mix would have made plenty of sense for the club, but instead the team is set to rely on internal youngsters like Kutter Crawford, Garrett Whitlock, and Tanner Houck to round out the rotation alongside Brayan Bello and Nick Pivetta.

Red Sox Place Trevor Story On Injured List With Shoulder Subluxation

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The Red Sox placed shortstop Trevor Story on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder subluxation this evening, per a team announcement. Infielder David Hamilton was recalled to take Story’s place on the active roster. The news comes on the heels of Story exiting yesterday’s game after diving to field a groundball. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow informed reporters, including Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, that it’s not yet clear if Story will need surgery or will play again this season. Story is set to undergo an exam on Monday to determine if he’s sustained any structural damage that would require him to go under the knife.

It’s the latest brutal development for Story during his Red Sox tenure, which has been fraught with injury-related struggles. Story, 31, enjoyed a run as one of the game’s best offensive shortstops from 2018 to 2020, slashing an impressive .292/.355/.554 while earning two All Star appearances, two Silver Slugger awards, and three top-12 finishes in NL MVP voting. Since coming to Boston on a six-year, $140MM deal prior to the 2022 season, however, Story has appeared in just 145 games with a .227/.288/.394 slash line amid wrist, heel, and UCL injuries. Now the latest injury to plague Story since joining the Red Sox has put the remainder of his 2024 season in doubt after he appeared in just 43 games last season.

With Story likely sidelined for at least a significant period, if not the entire season, the Red Sox are now set to turn to a patchwork infield mix featuring Enmanuel Valdez, Pablo Reyes, and Hamilton up the middle with Romy Gonzalez as another option on the club’s 40-man roster. Reyes has the most big league experience of that group, with a .255/.317/.363 slash line in 216 career big league games that’s good for a wRC+ or 83, while Valdez’s 87 wRC+ in 57 career major league appearances leads the group.

Taking Story’s place on the roster for the time being is Hamilton, a 26-year-old who made his MLB debut with the Red Sox last year. The youngster appeared in just 15 games with the club during his first big league season and struggled at the plate, slashing a paltry .121/.256/.182 in that brief stint. He posted stronger numbers at the Triple-A level, slashing .247/.363/.438 in 103 games while splitting time between shortstop, second base, and center field.

None of those options inspire confidence, though the club’s outlook up the middle could improve when infielder Vaughn Grissom makes his season debut after being sidelined with a hamstring strain to open the season. Per MLB.com, Cora has suggested that Grissom could begin a rehab assignment in the near future, potentially setting up a return in late April or early May. Grissom was set to open the season as the club’s starting second baseman prior to his injury, though it’s possible that a prolonged absence by Story could lead the Red Sox to experiment with Grissom at shortstop, where he spent the majority of his time in the minor leagues.

One other option at the club’s disposal would be to use top prospect Ceddanne Rafaela on the infield dirt. The youngster has acted as the club’s regular center fielder this season but has experience in the major and minor leagues at both shortstop and second base. Moving Rafaela to the infield would also free up additional at-bats in the club’s crowded outfield mix, which features Jarren Duran, Tyler O’Neill, Wilyer Abreu, and Mastaka Yoshida in addition to Rafaela himself. Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe relays that Breslow downplayed the idea of Rafaela moving to the infield, however, noting the value of the youngster’s superb glovework in center field.

Trevor Story Exits With Left Shoulder Pain

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Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story injured his shoulder on Friday as he dove to field a groundball. He hit the ground in significant distress and eventually left the game holding his arm. Shortly afterward, the team told reporters (including Christopher Smith of MassLive) that he exited with “left shoulder pain.” Presumably, the Red Sox will provide more details after the game, although Story might need further evaluation on Saturday before receiving a proper diagnosis.

Story has been something of an injury magnet throughout his career, spending time on the injured list in six of his first eight MLB seasons from 2016-23. He tore a thumb ligament in 2016, suffered a shoulder strain in 2017, sprained his thumb in 2019, dealt with elbow inflammation in 2021, and fractured his wrist (and suffered a heel contusion) in 2022. Most recently, he spent the first four months of the 2023 season recovering from an internal brace procedure to repair his UCL.

The Red Sox, who signed Story to a six-year, $140 million contract ahead of the 2022 campaign, were counting on him to be their regular shortstop this year. He struggled tremendously at the plate in 2023, slashing .203/.250/.316 in 43 games. However, he looked phenomenal at shortstop, producing 8 DRS and 8 OAA in just 314 defensive innings. Surely, the Red Sox were hoping that after a regular, healthy offseason, Story could get back on track at the plate. Over his first seven seasons, he produced an .849 OPS and 111 wRC+.

Instead, it seems as if Story is headed to the injured list early in 2024. Boston is low on infield depth with second baseman Vaughn Grissom already on the IL, but Pablo Reyes can cover at shortstop. Meanwhile, utility man Romy Gonzalez, currently at Triple-A, is a likely candidate to fill an empty spot on the bench.

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