Red Sox’s Christian Arroyo Had Difficulty Holding Bat With Hand Injury

The Boston Red Sox had hoped Christian Arroyo would play in their game against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

Instead, they placed him on the 10-day injured list with a left hand contusion after his attempts to hold a bat were unsuccessful.

“He tried, and he felt it in one of the swings, and then after that, he didn’t feel great,” manager Alex Cora said after Boston’s narrow 4-3 win.

Arroyo had to leave two games in two weeks after being hit on the hand by a pitch in both instances. First, on April 25 in a win over the Seattle Mariners, followed by a May 5 loss in extras to the Detroit Tigers.

“It was tough,” Cora said. “It was gonna take longer than two days or three. So, I don’t want him to feel the pressure of coming back sooner, and then try, and then something bad really happens, so we’ll stay away from him, go on the IL. Jonathan is a good player, he can be versatile, so we’ll take care of Christian, and whenever he’s ready, he’ll be back.”

To replace Arroyo on the active roster, Boston recalled infielder Jonathan Araúz from Triple-A Worcester, who was on the team’s taxi squad for the road trip.