BOSTON Injuries continue to mount for the Boston Red Sox, with designated hitter Masataka Yoshida being placed on the injured list before Wednesday’s 6-2 win over the San Francisco Giants.
Yoshida, who jammed his hand on Sunday, is the 13th Red Sox player to land on the IL this season.
Yoshida joins shortstop Trevor Story and first baseman Triston Casas, both Opening Day starters who are now sidelined. Story is out for the season following shoulder surgery, while Casas will miss several weeks due to torn cartilage in his rib cage.
Three of Boston’s original starting pitchers, Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello, and Garrett Whitlock, are also injured. This list excludes Lucas Giolito, who was signed as a free agent but underwent Tommy John surgery in spring training.
In some positive news, projected starting second baseman Vaughn Grissom, sidelined since the season began with a hamstring issue, is expected to be activated Friday if his recovery continues smoothly, according to manager Alex Cora.
“He’s feeling good today,” Cora said.
The Red Sox avoided further misfortune when Garrett Cooper, recently acquired to replace Casas, was hit by a pitch on his hand in his first game Tuesday and had to leave early. He was available to play Wednesday but did not appear in the game.
Cora, somewhat exasperated, addressed the injury situation before Wednesday’s game. He praised the bottom of the roster for stepping up, helping the Red Sox to a 17-13 record, which improved to 18-13 with the victory over the Giants.
“It’s a star-driven league, we know that, but what you do with the edge of the roster is very important,” Cora said. “Having roster flexibility is huge. You can move guys around. That’s how franchises like the Rays have succeeded over the years. … I believe the edge of the roster can help you win eight, nine games a season.”
For the Red Sox, a significant move has been shifting rookie Ceddanne Rafaela from center field to shortstop, demonstrating his defensive prowess at both positions. Jarren Duran, the team’s regular center fielder in 2023, returned to center after starting the season in left field.
Cora mentioned discussing all these changes with outfielder Rob Refsnyder.
“We work hard on chemistry and culture in spring training. Then you have a whole different team by early May,” Cora said. “It’s going to keep changing, but I believe we’re in a good place. We’re playing good baseball, which is awesome.”
Craig Breslow, the team’s first-year chief baseball officer, has been actively finding replacements. Besides acquiring Cooper from the Chicago Cubs for cash, the Red Sox recently obtained backup infielder Zack Short from the New York Mets.
Additionally, Boston agreed to a one-year contract with first baseman Dominic Smith, released by the Rays on Tuesday. Smith has been in Triple-A and hit .254/.326/.366 for the Washington Nationals last season.
Despite the injuries to the rotation, the pitching has kept the Red Sox above .500. They lead the majors with a 2.59 ERA and have the lowest team ERA through 30 games since 1920. The rotation’s 2.00 ERA is the lowest through the end of April since the 1981 A’s.
“If we keep doing what we’re doing on the mound, it doesn’t matter who comes in,” Cora said. “We’re going to be in a good place.”
