With the Major League Baseball postseason looming, the health of the Boston Red Sox will be an extremely important topic for Alex Cora.
The Boston manager’s team was the first to clinch a playoff berth Tuesday, but currently is dealing with some injuries to key players Eduardo Nunez and Matt Barnes.
Barnes has been dealing with hip inflammation since the beginning of September while Nunez aggravated his knee in Thursday’s sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays. And while both injuries don’t appear to be serious, Cora isn’t taking any chances with either player.
Speaking to reporters prior to Friday’s series opener against the New York Mets at Fenway Park, the skipper provided positive updates on Barnes and Nunez.
Some #RedSox stuff:
* Eduardo Nunez (right knee) will work out tomorrow and could play Sunday.
* Matt Barnes (left hip) threw a bullpen today, scheduled to again on Sunday. Could see him in a game next week.
* Porcello will be held to 5-6 IP tomorrow to control his workload.— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) September 14, 2018
It’s certainly a relief for Nunez, who injured that same right knee last September and had it give out during Game 1 of the 2017 ALDS, causing him to miss the remainder of the postseason. The infielder also admitted he was playing with a lot of pain in his knee to start the year, but has felt close to 100 percent as of late.
Of course, Barnes’ return could boost a bullpen in need of some stability, especially with October being just a few weeks away. The right-hander has a 3.39 ERA in 58 appearances for Boston this season.
