Boston Red Sox send Hanley Ramirez away for rest of the season
By Sean Penney
If you were to glance into the Boston Red Sox dugout you may notice one player conspicuously missing. That would be Hanley Ramirez, who will remain away from the team for the rest of the season.
The former outfielder is the highest paid player on the team, but he won’t be earning those checks that he cashes the rest of this year. We learned last week that Ramirez would be shut down for the remainder of the season with shoulder inflammation, but now we are being told that he won’t even be sticking around to support his teammates down the stretch.
When asked about Ramirez’s absence, interim manager Torey Lovullo explained that he has been sent to work with a personal trainer in Florida to get a head start on his offseason program.
"“Hanley is starting his rehab progress, or rehab progression, in Fort Lauderdale with his personal trainer, his physical therapist that he’s going to have for the entire offseason,” said Lovullo, per Masslive.com’s Jen McCaffrey. “We just thought it would be a good thing to start as soon as possible.”"
More from Red Sox News
- Red Sox Nation deserves far more from Fenway Sports Group
- Bizarre trade deadline comes back to haunt Red Sox after Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Red Sox’ Moneyball-style offseason continues with Corey Kluber contract
- Rich Hill’s Red Sox departure puts him within striking distance of unique MLB record
- Red Sox offseason takes another nasty hit with Nathan Eovaldi departure
Ramirez had been working out at first base with infield instructor Brian Butterfield, as the team prepares to transition him to the position next season. There had been hope that Ramirez would get the opportunity to give the Red Sox a taste of what he would look like manning first, but those plans evaporated when his shoulder failed to respond to treatment. Now that he’s been shut down, the priority has shifted to strengthening his ailing shoulder so that he can be ready to begin his offseason routine without any further setbacks.
The Red Sox have a plan in mind for what is best for Ramirez’s future with the team. The reason it stands out as a bit odd is because it conflicts with how they are treating other injured players. Clay Buchholz, Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa aren’t expected to take the mound again this season, yet they remain with the team. While this may seem like the team is contradicting themselves with how they are handling Ramirez, Lovullo had an explanation for that as well.
"“With Taz and Koji, their best trainers are here with us right now,” Lovullo said. “Our medical staff has requested they stay on board because they can keep their hands on them and have them. In Taz’s case, we have a progression where we’re working him through and getting him started for the offseason. In Koji’s case, he threw today. He threw more as therapy, physical therapy for his wrist. We want our guys to feel comfortable with watching those two guys.”"
More from BoSox Injection
- Red Sox Nation deserves far more from Fenway Sports Group
- Bizarre trade deadline comes back to haunt Red Sox after Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Red Sox’ Moneyball-style offseason continues with Corey Kluber contract
- Rich Hill’s Red Sox departure puts him within striking distance of unique MLB record
- Red Sox offseason takes another nasty hit with Nathan Eovaldi departure
As the schedule winds down on a losing season, having one of your star players leave the team is bound to raise some eyebrows. Especially when that player is Ramirez, who has had a massively disappointing first season in Boston, leading to speculation that the team may look to move him and his albatross of a contract this winter.
Lovullo was clear to stress that sending Ramirez south was not an indication that the team was pushing him out the door. This isn’t about removing his presence from the clubhouse, it’s about getting him healthy so that he can hit the ground running once the offseason begins.
Given that Ramirez will need to commit a significant amount of time to learning a new position for the second straight offseason, the Red Sox can’t afford to waste any time. While his absence is bound to raise questions, this plan may actually be what’s best for both Ramirez and the team in the long run.