It’s almost Mookie Time.
Boston Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts is close to returning to the club following a stint on the 7-day concussion disabled list, where he landed after a game against the Chicago White Sox on July 28. His next step in the recovery process will be a rehab stint with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs on Sunday.
If all goes well, Betts is expected to join the team Tuesday in Miami against the Marlins, whom the Red Sox swept in two games earlier this season at Fenway Park.
Betts suffered the concussion after flipping over the right field wall while attempting to catch a fly ball from White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu, which ultimately was ruled a home run.
The Red Sox finish their three game set against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday and have on off day Monday before the series in Miami begins Tuesday.
Let’s take a look at some other Red Sox notes.
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— Hanley Ramirez had X-rays to make sure there was no structural damage in his sore left foot. Results came back negative, according to MassLive.com’s Jen McCaffrey.
Ramirez missed Saturday’s game after fouling another pitch off his foot in Friday night’s 7-2 win over the Tigers. The insurance of the X-ray should help ease the struggling left fielder’s mind.
— Sunday will be another big test for Red Sox rookie left-hander Henry Owens.
Owens made his major league debut Tuesday at Yankee Stadium against the New York Yankees and couldn’t have pitched much better than he did. His numbers (0-1, 5.40 ERA) look pretty bad but definitely are misleading.
Owens struck out five batters in five innings of work and was charged with three earned runs despite only being on the mound for one. Owens was lifted with no outs and two runners on in the sixth for Robbie Ross Jr., who promptly allowed both inherited runners to score. We’ll never know if Owens could’ve escaped the jam on his own, but he had looked good to that point, even retiring 12 straight Yankees between the second and fifth innings.
— David Ortiz triggered his 2016 vesting option Saturday with his first-inning at-bat against Alfredo Simon. That at-bat was his 425th plate appearance in 2015, guaranteeing his contract for next season.
He responded by going 3-for-4 with his team-leading 23rd home run of the season and three RBIs in Boston’s 7-6 loss to Detroit. He also became the fifth player in MLB history to hit at least 20 doubles and 20 home runs in 14 consecutive seasons.
— Mike Napoli made his first appearance with the Texas Rangers on Saturday since being traded, drawing a walk and scoring an important run in the Rangers’ extra-innings win over the Seattle Mariners.
— Toronto Blue Jays pitcher David Price, who spent the past year with the Detroit Tigers, chimed in on the Jose Iglesias-James McCann dugout spat from Friday.
[tweet https://twitter.com/DAVIDprice14/status/629992443421847552 align=’center’]
Sox fans can take issue with the comparison to former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek if they want, but it’s nothing more than some high praise for McCann from a former teammate — plus a tip of the hat from a Red Sox rival who competed against Varitek at the highest level towards the end of his career.
— Red Sox starting pitchers Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez were spotted taking batting practice before Saturday’s game against the Tigers. They’ll have to take a few rips at the plate this week with the Sox playing an interleague matchup in Miami on Tuesday and Wednesday.
— Red Sox prospect Yoan Moncado launched a moonshot to leadoff the Single-A Greenville Drive’s 9-5 win on Saturday.
The home run was Moncada’s sixth of the season. He finished the game 3-for-5, adding a double and two RBIs, giving him 31 on the season. The Cuban prospect has raised his average to .290 and might be in line for a promotion to High-A Salem before the end of the season.
Michael Chavis, the team’s 2014 first-round draft selection, also homered in the win.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
