Mookie Betts is improving, but he isn’t ready to return just yet.
The Boston Red Sox outfielder was placed on the 10-day disabled list last Saturday (retroactive to last Tuesday) and is eligible to be activated Saturday.
Betts has been taking batting practice prior to games, and likely will need to go on a brief rehab stint prior to returning to the big league club.
The thought heading into Thursday’s 7-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park was that Betts could begin his rehab stint this weekend and return to the Sox early next week. But manager Alex Cora gave an update on Betts’ status after the loss, noting the star outfielder is still a little “hesitant” in regard to his injury.
“Well, today BP was OK,” Cora said after the game, as seen on NESN’s Red Sox postgame coverage. “So we’re going to go through the same thing tomorrow. Show up early, do the defensive work, hit outside, hit off the machine and see how he feels and then move on. He felt better, but I think with where it bothers him, I think sometimes you are hesitant. I understand that.
“And like I told him, ‘we’re not pushing you to come sooner rather than later. You come back whenever you are ready. We trust you.’ We’ve done it the whole season and we’re not going to change now. Tomorrow we’ll go through the same thing and see how he reacts.”
Betts is having an unbelievable campaign so far. The slugger is hitting .359 with 17 home runs and 37 RBIs with a .437 on-base percentage and a .750 slugging percentage.
Here are more notes from Red Sox-Tigers:
— Jalen Beeks had a rough major league debut. The left-hander gave up six runs in four innings and took the loss Thursday against the Tigers. Beeks joined seven other pitchers to give up five or more runs while making their debut for Boston this century.
Of the 21 pitchers this century to make their big league debuts by starting for the Red Sox, Beeks is the 8th to give up 5+ runs. The others:
Charlie Zink (8), Hector Velazquez (6), Kyle Weiland (6), David Pauley (6), Paxton Crawford (6), Felix Doubront (5), Abe Alvarez (5)— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) June 8, 2018
— Beeks will be optioned back to Triple-A Pawtucket after the game. The corresponding move has not yet been announced.
— The last four Red Sox pitchers to make their big league debuts have had a rough go of it.
Last four Red Sox SP to make their MLB debuts:
J. Beeks (tonight): 4 IP, 6 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 4 K
H. Velazquez (2017): 5 IP, 6 ER, 9 H, 2 BB, 4 K
H. Owens (2015): 5 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 K
B. Johnson (2015): 4.1 IP, 4 ER, 3 H, 4 BB, 3 K
——
Total: 18.1 IP, 9.33 ERA, 1.85 WHIP— Jason Mastrodonato (@JMastrodonato) June 8, 2018
— Benintendi continues to be scorching hot, and the Red Sox outfielder has been destroying left-handed pitching of late. After starting the season 4-for-30 against lefties, he is 8-for-19 with three home runs, two doubles and six RBIs since then.
— J.D. Martinez left Thursday’s game with back tightness, but Cora believes it’s nothing major and hopes the slugger will be able to go Friday against the Chicago White Sox.
