The Boston Red Sox lost some infield depth Saturday night, but the hope is that it won’t be for long.
First baseman Mitch Moreland left Game 2 of the Sox’s American League Division Series contest against the New York Yankees after tweaking his hamstring rounding third base. Steve Pearce took over for him and is a suitable replacement, but Moreland is among the league’s best defensive first basemen, and as such, Boston has him undergoing “aggressive treatment” to try to make sure he can stay on the field.
During Sunday’s media availability, Red Sox manager Alex Cora provided the latest on the 33-year-old.
“He’s okay,” Cora told reporters, via MassLive. “He’s getting treatment, aggressive treatment. We’ll know a little bit more after all his rounds of whatever, steam and all that stuff he goes on, and then we’ll talk to (team trainer Brad Pearson) and go from there.”
Cora was pretty optimistic after Saturday’s game that Moreland’s injury was not one that would result in him needing to be removed from the postseason roster, unlike what happened to Steven Wright.
With Luis Severino set to get the ball for the Yankees, getting Moreland in the lineup for Monday’s Game 3 would be ideal, despite his recent struggles at the plate. He’s a career .350 (7-for-20) hitter against the Yankees’ ace, drilling two doubles with four RBIs.
