BOSTON — Hanley Ramirez seemed relieved Thursday morning.
Ramirez exited Wednesday night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park with a left hand contusion after he was struck by a batted ball between first and second base on a hit-and-run attempt in the fifth inning. The Red Sox outfielder initially feared the worst, so he was counting his lucky stars after X-rays revealed only a bruise and not a break.
Ramirez avoided the disabled list and is considered day to day.
“I was a little bit frustrated (Wednesday) before the X-rays, how much pain there was and how it looked,” Ramirez said before Thursday’s game against the O’s. “Everyone who saw it, you could see on their face it was really bad.”
Bad, perhaps. But it could’ve been worse. The Red Sox placed second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the 15-day disabled list before Thursday’s series finale. They certainly couldn’t afford to lose Ramirez, too.
It’s unclear how long Ramirez, who was out of the starting lineup Thursday, will be sidelined as a result of the injury. The slugger appears to have dodged a bullet, though. While Ramirez acknowledged he still was in some pain, he also said he felt better Thursday morning than he did immediately after Wednesday’s 5-1 win.
“It’s really sore,” Ramirez said. “(Wednesday), after that happened, everyone was wondering because I had a big bump there. It was really, really painful. I’m really surprised how it feels good (Thursday).”
Ramirez, who entered Thursday hitting .283 with 15 home runs and 38 RBIs this season, has been swinging the bat well of late. He’s batting .341 (30-for-88) with five homers and a .534 slugging percentage over his last 24 games dating to May 28. You can bet he doesn’t want to sit now.
“It’s going to be day to day — treatment, ice,” Ramirez said. “Like I said, if I come in (Friday) and I can grip the bat, I’ll be in the lineup. That’s what I’m here for. Nothing will keep me from the lineup unless it’s still really painful.”
Pain is one thing. A break — and in turn a DL stint — would have been a much bigger issue for Ramirez and the Red Sox. And for that, the three-time All-Star can breathe a sigh of relief.
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
