street. PETERSBURG — Adam Duvall, who walked out of the gate as the Red Sox’ hottest hitter, will be lost for weeks, possibly months, after fracturing the distal radius in his left wrist while trying to catch in center field on 4 Sunday. 1 victory over the Tigers.
Duvall was x-rayed at Comerica Park immediately after Sunday’s game and evaluated by a hand specialist in Boston on Monday, after which the Red Sox issued the initial diagnosis.
After Monday night’s game, a 1-0 loss to the 10-0 Rays in which the Red Sox missed Duvall’s big bat, coach Alex Cora revealed that the 34-year-old would not need surgery.
“Just break, that’s it,” Cora said. “No surgery. Just put a mold on it and let it cure, and it will come back when it’s ready.”
According to a source, by avoiding the surgery, there’s a chance Duvall will return in six to eight weeks. If surgery was required, he might have been out for eight to ten weeks, if not longer.
“It’s great,” said Cora. “We don’t want to go that far [surgery] way of course. I am happy with that this It’s the worst news for him. Will be back at some point. We just have to be patient, and when he’s ready, he’s ready.”
Duvall’s 2022 season ended in July when he underwent surgery to repair a torn left tendon sheath. However, this appears to be a separate injury to a different part of the wrist.
“It’s on the other side [of the wrist]Cora said. “For everything I hear about his procedure last year, nothing [related] It happened. “
Perhaps due to his difficulties last season as well as his injury, there was little fanfare when the Sox signed Duvall to a one-year, $7 million contract on January 24.
Instantly, creating excitement this season. In eight games prior to the injury, Duvall put up an illustrious streak of .455/.514/1.030 with five doubles, four homers and 14 double hits. In the second game of the season, he smashed a two-run back-and-forth homer on the Green Beast in a 9–8 win over the Orioles.
“It’s interesting because a few weeks ago many people didn’t think so [this injury] Cora said. “We knew when we signed him that he was going to be a good defender and he was going to hit well. He’s worked really hard on some things with [hitting coach] house [Fatse] To drive the ball into left field. And now it’s a big hit.”
The Red Sox do not expect to replace Duvall with one player. But here’s a look at how they will try to do so by the committee:
Kiké will see more time in the centre
For the past two seasons, Keke Hernandez has been Boston’s starting quarterback. After the departure of Xander Bogaerts and a right elbow injury to Trevor Storey, Hernandez opened 2023 on short notice. While he started again at shortstop Monday night, Hernandez will gain some time back at quarterback, which is the position Duvall used to play.
“I’ve already spoken to Kiké, and diversity plays a role now,” said Cora.
As a right-handed hitter, Hernández is a player who can help replace Duvall’s production from that side of the plate if he can get hot. Hernandez grabbed 20 starters from Boston in 2021 and made a historic six appearances during the postseason. He went 0-for-3 with one walk and one strikeout in the Series opener.
Dalbec gets another chance
With the Sox poised to face seven lefties in their next eight games, Bobby Dalbec (who was called up from Triple-A Worcester to take Duvall’s place on the roster) will get a chance to play. Cora noted that Dalbec would have more cornering time than shortstop, a position he had spent spring training acclimating to. Dalbec grabbed 25 homers as a junior in 2021 but couldn’t find his groove last season, which is a big reason he started this year in the Minors. He hit a leadoff single in the eighth inning and finished Monday’s game at first base.
Tapia will play more against right-wingers
Raimel Tapia, a veteran left-handed hitter who made the team a non-roster invitee to Spring Training, will get some time in the middle against right-handed pitchers. He also has speed, something the Red Sox lack as a team. Tapia pinch hit in the top of the ninth and fell to second on the final out to get out of the game.
Refsnyder is getting more and more important
Rob Refsnyder got the start at center Monday against Rays left fielder Jalen Beeks, and he’ll be in the lineup a lot this week. Right-handed hitter hit an average of 359 games in 73 games against left-handers last season. Refsnyder went 0-for-3 with a penalty, but made four putts, including a great sliding pass on the caution run into left-center field on third down.
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