BOSTON — Two Red Sox players exited Friday night’s game with injuries, one of which might be more serious than the other.
Starting pitcher Joe Kelly tweaked his right shoulder during the fifth inning, putting an early end to what had been a stellar outing. Manager John Farrell said after the game, though, that Kelly was pulled for precautionary reasons, and he added Saturday morning that the right-hander is back to full strength.
“Joe came in and felt no ill effects from (Friday) night,” Farrell said. “After a battery of tests that he went through after the game (Friday) night that didn’t reproduce any symptoms, that was followed up with him feeling well (Saturday) morning. He’s on target to start in five days.”
Kelly allowed zero runs on just one hit in his five innings of work, striking out five.
The Red Sox’s other injury scare came in the bottom of that fifth inning, when an 89-mph changeup from Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez drilled shortstop Xander Bogaerts in the head. Bogaerts remained in the game after being examined by the team trainer but was removed one inning later.
The 21-year-old was held out of Saturday’s starting lineup as he undergoes concussion testing.
“Any time you get hit in the head like he did (Friday) night, removed from the game, he’s got to go through a protocol, which he’s going through (Saturday),” Farrell said. “Just to see if there’s any concussion symptoms.”
Farrell added that Bogaerts passed all initial on-field concussion tests, but that he later began to feel the onset of additional symptoms, prompting his removal from the game.
The Red Sox dropped Friday’s game 5-3, with all five Mariners runs coming in the top of the ninth inning.
Photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
