Red Sox infielder Yu Chang officially is on the road to recovery after undergoing successful surgery Thursday, one day after Boston wrapped up its six-game road trip through Milwaukee and Baltimore.
The Red Sox announced Friday that Chang underwent a left hamate excision, performed by Dr. Matthew Leibman at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
No timetable was provided for Chang’s return, but the infielder told reporters earlier this week he expected to miss approximately six weeks. The Red Sox placed Chang on the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a left hamate fracture, an injury he suffered Monday against the Orioles.
Chang’s injury is a tough blow, as the 27-year-old had begun to find his stride while settling in as Boston’s primary shortstop. The middle of the Red Sox’s infield has been in flux since Opening Day — initially the product of Xander Bogaerts’ free agency departure and Trevor Story’s offseason elbow surgery — and the battle of attrition only has grown more complicated with center fielder Adam Duvall suffering a fractured wrist and Chang going down.
Kiké Hernández was penciled in as the Red Sox’s everyday shortstop with Story sidelined until later this season, but Duvall’s injury jumbled that approach, requiring Boston to lean heavily on Hernández’s ability to play both the infield and the outfield. This opened the door for Chang to emerge as Boston’s regular shortstop, but now it’s once again back to the drawing board for manager Alex Cora. Hernández is expected to play mostly shortstop (again), with Enmanuel Valdez and Christian Arroyo holding down second base. Jarren Duran has surfaced as a steady option in center field.
Chang slashed .136/.174/.341 with three home runs and eight RBIs through 17 games (47 plate appearances) this season. Those numbers obviously don’t jump off the page, but he recently showed offensive improvement while playing excellent defense up the middle.
