Mookie Betts was eligible to return from his 10-day disabled list stint Friday, but no such move was made.
But there’s no need to sound the alarms.
All signs are pointing toward the Boston Red Sox right fielder making improvements from the left abdominal strain that has plagued him since early last week, but, in the interest of patience, that process will require a bit more time.
Prior to Friday’s game against the Chicago White Sox, manager Alex Cora gave the latest on Betts, who took batting practice on the field earlier in the day.
“We have to wait, we want him to swing with conviction, that’s the most important thing,” Cora told NESN’s Tom Caron as seen on Friday Night Fenway. “He’s doing a lot of things in the weight room that it shows that he’s getting better, but until he feels 100 percent sure that he can swing hard, then we’ll stay away from (him). And whenever he’s ready, he’ll be back. We trust the player, it has happened on a minor scale earlier in the season, he came back and he had great games. So whenever he’s ready, he’ll be out there.
Cora also indicated part of the reason Betts and the Sox are erring on the side of caution is because this type of pain historically has been foreign to him, and the part of the body the ailment is nestled in obviously is oft-used for baseball.
“He made a few phone calls around the league and they will tell him,” Cora said. “Players will communicate with other players that have experienced something like this. He just wants to make sure and I understand that part, so he should be fine. Day-to-day.”
Certainly, the Red Sox and their fans are waiting with bated breath for Betts’ return, but given it is June 8, it doesn’t hurt for the team to take their time on getting the star back onto the field.
