It’s better to be safe than sorry.
That seems to be the mindset of the Boston Red Sox and Steve Pearce, who will start the 2019 Major League Baseball season on the injured list. Sam Travis will take Pearce’s spot on the Red Sox’s roster until the reigning World Series MVP is ready to go.
Pearce left Boston’s March 17 spring training game with calf discomfort. Although the injury doesn’t appear to be serious, the 35-year-old understands there’s no sense in trying to force the issue.
“I didn’t think it would take this long but I don’t want to rush it for the start of the season and taking a chance and letting it linger for the whole season — knock it out now,” Pearce said Tuesday, per the Boston Herald.
Boston shouldn’t be without Pearce for very long, as manager Alex Cora noted the 13th-year pro should rejoin the club “sooner rather than later.”
The Red Sox kick off the new season Thursday night against the Seattle Mariners, the first of 11 straight road games as Boston begins its World Series title defense.
