For the second straight contest, a Boston Red Sox position player had to exit mid-game due to an injury.
A day after Tommy Pham sustained an ailment, first baseman Eric Hosmer was pulled from Saturday’s 4-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles due to lower back pain.
Following the contest, Red Sox manager Alex Cora revealed more about what plagued Hosmer and gave an indication if Hosmer will be in the lineup Sunday when the Red Sox and Orioles conclude their series in Williamsport, Pa. as part of the Major League Baseball Little League Classic.
“Back spasm,” Cora told reporters about Hosmer’s injury, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “We’ll see how he feels overnight and tomorrow. Tomorrow’s a tough day for everybody, so we’ll probably stay away from him tomorrow.”
The veteran first baseman is batting .225 (9-for-40) with four RBIs in 12 games since the Red Sox acquired him from the San Diego Padres prior to the MLB trade deadline.
Cora also provided an update on Pham, who had a similar injury to Hosmer. The 34-year-old outfielder left in the middle of the bottom of the fifth inning in Friday’s contest due to low back tightness.
But according to Cora, Pham won’t be on the shelf for long and he could potentially be back in the lineup Sunday.
“It seems that way,” Cora told reporters. “He took a few swings and he felt good.”
Pham has given a boost to the Red Sox from the top of the order since getting traded to the organization from the Cincinnati Reds. In 16 games with Boston, Pham is batting .271 with three home runs and 13 RBIs.
The Red Sox will look to take another series from an American League East opponent on Sunday. First pitch from Muncy Bank Ballpark at Bowman Field is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Boston returns to Fenway Park and NESN on Tuesday to face the Toronto Blue Jays at 7:10 p.m.
