BOSTON — Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman could be nearing a trip to the injured list after leaving Friday’s game with right quadriceps tightness, manager Alex Cora said.
“He’s getting an MRI. He’s sore,” Cora said at Fenway Park on Saturday morning before Boston was set to face the Baltimore Orioles in the first game of a split doubleheader.
“We’ll see where he’s at,” Cora said before later adding that Bregman said it felt “worse” than he expected.
When ask if a stint on the IL could be coming, Cora said: “I don’t want to jump into conclusions, but yes.”
If Bregman does need to go to the IL, who will play third?
Cora said the plan is for the team to “mix and match” and answered “no” when asked if Rafael Devers could be in the immediate plans.
“There’s a lot of guys in the conversation,” Cora said. “Roster construction comes into play, guys in the minor leagues, how they fit the roster — all that stuff.”
Could Devers be in the mix at some point?
“We made a decision in the offseason and this is where we’re going,” Cora said, without completely closing the door. “There are a few things that we took into consideration and I think we’ve been very consistent with it.
“I’m not going react to the outside world because (they) think that’s the right move. Maybe it’s not, right? Maybe we’re doing it right? Maybe we’re doing it wrong?”
Earlier this month, Devers told the Red Sox he wasn’t moving to play first base. The DH has been red-hot lately after collecting a career-best eight RBIs in a lopsided victory over the Orioles on Friday afternoon.
“I know the guy. He’s raking. He’s the best DH in the American League right now,” Cora said. “If he keeps continuing to do this, he’s going to be in the All-Star Game as the DH and going to win a Silver Slugger as a DH. This is where we’re going. We’ll continue to talk. I’m not going to say we’re going to close the door.”
Boston already lost a corner infielder for the season when first baseman Triston Casas ruptured a tendon in his left knee and had season-ending surgery. The loss of Bregman could be a big blow to a lineup that’s struggled, at times.
“We’ll be OK. Obviously, he’s a big part of our offense,” Cora said. “Triston is a big part of our offense. We’ve just got to find a way to score runs in a different way and we’re prepared for that.”
Devers, the team’s third baseman for eight seasons, was moved to DH after Bregman signed a three-year, $120 million deal as a free agent and was given the job. Following a slow start at the plate, Devers has heated up and is batting .299 with 12 homers and 47 RBIs.
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