Steve Pearce Injury: Red Sox First Baseman Takes Pitch To Shin, Exits Game

The injury bug has been unkind to the Boston Red Sox this season.

A day after Dustin Pedroia delivered a relatively bleak update on his knee, Rafael Devers was placed on the 10-day disabled list with shoulder inflammation. The Red Sox’s unfortunate trend carried on into Thursday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park, with Steve Pearce becoming the latest victim.

Toronto starter J.A. Happ plunked his former teammate square on the shin in the first inning, forcing the first baseman to stretch out his leg for quite some time. Pearce remained in the game and went on to play the second inning but ultimately was yanked in the third, with Blake Swihart entering the game as his replacement.

Luckily for Boston, it appears to have dodged a bullet with its newest player.

While there’s no good time for an injury, the minor ailment came at a rather opportune time for Pearce. After the Red Sox wrap up their four-game series with the Jays on Sunday, Pearce and most of his teammates will have four days off before resuming action next Friday in Detroit against the Tigers.