The Boston Red Sox don’t view Hanley Ramirez’s right shoulder tightness as a serious issue, but it’s enough to keep the slugger out of the World Baseball Classic.
Red Sox manager John Farrell revealed Thursday at the team’s spring training complex in Fort Myers, Fla., that Ramirez won’t participate in the event.
Ramirez, who previously expressed plenty of interest in representing his country at the WBC, would have left Red Sox spring training on Friday to join the Dominican Republic team, which is managed by former major leaguer Moises Alou. Instead, he’ll remain at Red Sox camp, where he’ll continue to rehab his throwing shoulder with an eye toward being 100 percent for Opening Day.
“(Ramirez is) on board with it,” Farrell told reporters at JetBlue Park, per the Boston Herald. “He has physical needs and feels the best way to allow him to be ready for the start of our season is to be in here with us.”
Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski didn’t rule out Ramirez joining the Dominican squad at some point during the World Baseball Classic, which runs from March 6 to 22, if it advances through pool play. But after Dombrowski spoke with Alou on the phone Thursday with Ramirez present, it became clear the Dominican skipper needed an answer and the decision ultimately was made to keep the 33-year-old designated hitter/first baseman in Red Sox camp to continue rehabbing and receiving treatment. Seattle infielder Jean Segura will replace Ramirez on the roster.
“We had basically felt unless Hanley could go there and partake in all of their functions beforehand, (Alou) would try to get a replacement for him. So that’s what he’s trying to do at this point,” Dombrowski said. “He didn’t close the door if he couldn’t get a replacement that (Ramirez) might stay with us and just go over there, get treatment and play in the game, just to DH. But that’s not (Alou’s) preference at this point, because he would really like to get his whole team together.
“We don’t think it’s anything major,” Dombrowski added of Ramirez’s shoulder issue. “He continues to make strides, but we also want to make sure we continue to treat him.”
Dombrowski indicated that Ramirez, who’s been limited to DH duties to this point, might begin throwing as soon as Thursday.
Xander Bogaerts, a member of Team Netherlands, now is the only player on Boston’s major league roster scheduled to participate in the World Baseball Classic.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
