BOSTON — One glance at the Red Sox’s final starting lineups of 2014 tells the story.
The Red Sox were a hurting bunch. Several players dealt with injuries down the stretch, causing Boston to deploy a handful of rookies during the club’s slow march to the finish line.
Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington and manager John Farrell spoke with reporters Monday at Fenway Park, touching on several topics pertaining to Boston’s disappointing season and the upcoming offseason. Cherington also provided updates on some of his banged-up players.
— Clay Buchholz will undergo minor knee surgery Tuesday. The procedure, which will be performed by head team orthopedist Dr. Peter Asnis, is to repair the meniscus in Buchholz’s right knee.
Cherington said Buchholz’s injury is something the pitcher dealt with off and on, though he wouldn’t categorize the ailment as a “debilitating issue.” According to Cherington, it was something Buchholz managed and the Red Sox are taking a proactive approach to prevent any further complications.
“We just felt like given where we are on the calendar, it’s a fairly quick recovery, just knock it out and then he should have a normal offseason,” Cherington said.
— Brock Holt, who missed the final 21 games with a concussion, will see Dr. Micky Collins on Oct. 9 in Pittsburgh.
The hope is Holt will receive final clearance and enter the offseason without any issues. It’s unlikely, however, he’ll play anywhere this winter.
“He was doing baseball activity here, so BP, ground balls,” Cherington said. “Assuming he gets clearance from Dr. Collins, we wouldn’t be concerned about it going into the offseason.”
— David Ortiz, who missed the final five games with a left wrist injury, will receive additional treatment, but the issue isn’t of great concern. It’s expected to resolve itself in time.
— Mike Napoli, who has been battling various ailments (finger, toe, etc.), will receive continued treatment. He’s expected to heal without any procedures.
The Red Sox are, however, looking into Napoli’s sleep disorder. The first baseman has been dealing with sleep apnea for years. Since the condition tends to get worse over time, the organization is looking into whether it can be addressed this offseason.
— Will Middlebrooks, who missed the final six games with right hand soreness, will continue to receive treatment over the next month or so. No procedure is expected.
Middlebrooks will not play winter ball despite the Red Sox’s recommendation.
— Dustin Pedroia, who underwent season-ending thumb/wrist surgery Sept. 11, is doing well.
“He should recover in time to have a normal offseason,” Cherington said. “He’ll be in Arizona for the most part.”
— Shane Victorino, who underwent season-ending back surgery Aug. 5, also is doing well.
“If he stays on track without any significant setbacks, he should be active in spring training at some point,” Cherington said. “I don’t want to put a date on it yet, but that would be our expectation.”
Victorino could play in spring training games if all goes according to plan.
— Allen Craig’s left foot isn’t an issue.
“I think we’ve done everything we can to make sure that the foot is OK going forward,” Cherington said. “No further testing needed.”
