Two days after John Farrell said there was “growing concern” over whether closer Koji Uehara will be ready for Opening Day, the Boston Red Sox manager expressed a similar sentiment regarding catcher Christian Vazquez.
Vazquez has been battling elbow soreness over the last couple of weeks and it’s unclear whether the 24-year-old will be ready for Boston’s season opener April 6 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
“Probably by the weekend we’ll have a more clear read on just that,” Farrell told reporters Thursday in Fort Myers, Fla., when asked whether Vazquez will be ready for Opening Day.
“He’s improving,” Farrell added. “Any time a player misses time, there’s some level of concern because of the talents that they are, and a player’s health is first and foremost. But there’s still some steps to accomplish.”
Vazquez suffered the injury on a throw to second base during the Red Sox’s game against the New York Yankees on March 13. He initially was shut down and has since been brought along slowly.
Vazquez will undergo another medical exam Friday, according to Farrell, at which point the club will determine whether an MRI is necessary.
“When he began to throw again, there was a little bit of a guarded approach on his behalf, and it affected his throwing mechanics where he’s starting to get sore in his triceps,” Farrell said. “So we altered his throwing program just to get back to his normal arm slot and natural way of throwing. We’re building that back up right now.”
Catcher Ryan Hanigan, who the Red Sox acquired from the San Diego Padres over the offseason, obviously would see an uptick in playing time if Vazquez remains sidelined into the regular season. Boston’s other catching options include top prospect Blake Swihart and 35-year-old journeyman Humberto Quintero.
Thumbnail photo via Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports Images
