Red Sox trade addition at 2B doubtful for Opening Day due to groin injury


The Red Sox are expecting to be without a member of their starting infield on Opening Day.

Manager Alex Cora told reporters Saturday that second baseman Vaughn Grissom is doubtful to be ready to open the season (March 28) after suffering a “slight” left groin strain taking ground balls during a drill earlier in the week. Grissom was expected to make his exhibition debut for Boston on Saturday against Washington but has been shut down from baseball activities.

“He’ll be out. We’re gonna shut him down,” Cora told reporters (including WEEI’s Rob Bradford). “It happened two days ago taking ground balls. He had an MRI yesterday. We feel comfortable where we’re at but obviously uncomfortable with where we’re at. It’s gonna take more than a few days. Obviously, no timetable. But with this now, Opening Day might not happen for him.”

Grissom was expected to be Boston’s starter at second base after coming over in the late December trade that sent starter Chris Sale to Atlanta. He was slow to start in camp because of minor “hamstring imbalance” but had gotten to the point where he was ready to play before suffering the groin injury. As Cora said, the Red Sox don’t know when he’ll be ready to play but don’t expect the absence to be a particularly long one.

With Grissom expected to start the year on the injured list, Cora pointed to Enmanuel Valdez, who played in 49 major league games last season, as the top option to replace Grissom in the interim. Pablo Reyes is also in the mix as a utility man and is out of options, making it more likely than not that he’ll make the team. But Valdez, who hit .266 with six homers and a .764 OPS in the big leagues, seems to have a leg up.

Cora said the team is not considering the versatile Ceddanne Rafaela, who is trying to make the roster as the starting center fielder, at second base.

Valdez is batting ninth and starting at second Saturday against the Nats.

“He’s a good second baseman and he can hit,” Cora said. “If he can get better defensively, we’ve got a really good second baseman and he has been doing that… He’s a little bit stronger, more agile. He’s doing well.”

Valdez has always been viewed as a below-average defender and struggled on that side of the ball as a rookie, registering a -4 outs above average and finishing in the eighth percentile in arm strength, per Statcast. He spent much of the winter in the Dominican Republic working with former Red Sox infield coach Carlos Febles, who is now the third base coach for the Glue Jays.

“He’s moving well, throwing the ball well… He put work,” Cora said.

“I do believe out conversion now will come into play,” he continued. “When you feel like you cannot finish plays with your arm, then you’re gonna rush and make bad decisions. I do believe that’s what happened early on. He was ebtter the second time he came up. Now, he’s moving well, he’s working hard, he’s in constant communication with Trevor (Story) which is great.”

Grissom’s injury is the first notable health-related setback of spring training for the Red Sox.

“Obviously, disappointed in a sense because we wanted Vaughn to get as many reps as possible and hopefully be the starting second baseman of the Boston Red Sox,” Cora said.



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