The Boston Red Sox had an easy time dispatching the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday afternoon, but it came at a little bit of a cost.
Catcher Connor Wong suffered a hamstring injury in the 15-3 spring training win and Red Sox manager Alex Cora didn’t have an encouraging update on the 26-year-old backstop following the game.
“He’s tight. We’ll know (more) tomorrow,” Cora told reporters, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “It doesn’t look great right now but hopefully we get better news tomorrow morning.”
Wong, who made his Major League Baseball debut with the Red Sox in 2021 after Boston acquired him as part of the deal for Mookie Betts, is fighting for a spot on the Opening Day roster and seemed in line to be Reese McGuire’s backup.
Wong spent a majority of last season with Triple-A Worcester, but did play in 27 games in the big leagues, where he hit a measly .188 with one home run and seven RBIs.
Cora obviously was waiting on further diagnosis as a timeline for Wong’s return is unknown. But given Cora’s reaction, it seems like the injury could sideline Wong for a bit and impede any progress he has made this spring.
This could open up the door for Jorge Alfaro, who signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox in mid-January, to snag Wong’s roster spot.
Alfaro is a veteran of seven seasons in the majors and while Cora has raised concerns about the 29-year-old’s defensive ability, the former San Diego Padres catcher can make an impact with his bat. He hit .246 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs in 82 games for the Padres last season.
