The concern regarding Christian Vazquez’s elbow injury certainly elevated Sunday.
Vazquez will visit Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion Wednesday, according to Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell. The catcher’s MRI revealed “something,” though it’s unclear at this point how long he’ll be sidelined or whether surgery is necessary.
“I don’t know about the severity of it right now,” Farrell told reporters Sunday in Fort Myers, Fla. “We know there’s been findings based on the MRI. I think any time the elbow is talked about, you go to someone who’s probably the source in our industry, and that’s Dr. Andrews, to take a further look at this.”
Vazquez has been dealing with elbow discomfort since suffering an injury in the Red Sox’s spring training game against the New York Yankees on March 13. The 24-year-old is unlikely to be ready for Boston’s April 6 season opener, according to Farrell, and it’s starting to sound like Vazquez could miss an extended period of time — maybe even the season.
“We’ve got to evaluate all guys behind the plate and take every piece of available information to make a decision later on in the week,” Farrell said. “I think it’s more about leading the pitchers at this point. The best way I could describe it is that there’s not going to be one thing we hang our hat on when we make that decision. We’re about winning games and we’ll put the best team on field.”
Ryan Hanigan likely will become the Red Sox’s primary catcher in Vazquez’s absence. Boston could call upon either top prospect Blake Swihart or veteran journeyman Humberto Quintero to serve as the backup.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
