The Boston Red Sox went down in 1-2-3 order this weekend, but I’m not talking about failing to get to base safely.
Instead, I’m referring to the fact that the Sox suffered injuries to three key players on three consecutive days.
photo credit: Eric Kilby
Dustin Pedroia was just one of three key Red Sox players who suffered injuries in a costly series against the Giants last weekend.
On Friday, Dustin Pedroia suffered a fluke injury. He fouled a ball of the top of his foot, breaking a bone in the process. He is now on the 15-day disabled list, and it’s not clear whether he’ll be out longer than that or not. If it’s four to six weeks, it will be very costly to Boston.
You could argue that Pedroia might be the player that the Sox could least afford to lose. Just the other day, I wrote a post on this site about his unbelievably hot hitting over the last few weeks. On top of that, he is one of the best defensive players at his position. If you were to lose a power-hitting DH, you might be able to plug in a credible slugger from AAA. But you can’t usually replace a great two-way player at a skill position in the field.
The next day, pitcher Clay Buchholz suffered a hamstring tear while running the bases, giving American League fans another reason to grit their teeth about AL pitchers being forced to bat in NL parks.
This injury represented worse news than originally anticipated. At first, it was thought that Buchholz had suffered a hyperextended knee and would not miss a start. Now, a DL stint is a very real possibility. The upcoming All-Star Break might diminish the impact of his absence, but Buchholz has been fantastic this year. The BoSox can’t afford for him to be out very long either.
To complete a brutal weekend of injuries, catcher Victor Martinez broke his thumb yesterday. He’s hoping to avoid the DL, but the injury is bound to hamper him at the plate and behind it.
The Sox did manage to win two out of three games in San Francisco. They might have preferred to lose the three games instead of the three players.
