Red Sox fans received quite a scare last night when third baseman Pablo Sandoval was struck in the knee by a Sam Freeman fastball in the seventh inning. Sandoval dropped to the ground in agony immediately after being hit and was forced to leave the game, with Brock Holt entering in his place. Fortunately, though, the Red Sox and Sandoval alike appear to have gotten a break as an MRI revealed no structural damage in Sandoval’s knee.
Granted, that’s not to say that it’s all better. Though the scan was clean, Sandoval did say that the knee would “be sore for a couple of days.” Manager John Farrell and the Red Sox are yet to announce whether Sandoval will play in tonight’s 7:10 EST slate versus the Rangers, but it appears that Sandoval will at least be able to avoid the disabled list.
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And that’s tremendously good news for the Red Sox and Sandoval as the 28-year old third baseman, whom the Red Sox signed to a monster 5 year/$95M deal in the offseason, is slashing a solid .270/.342/.416 in 37 games this season. With the Red Sox seeking an offensive turnaround after an unusual power outage across the last week or so, the team will need Sandoval’s bat in the lineup and it looks like they’ll have it.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Red Sox give Sandoval at least a day off, allowing that knee to return to 100%, so expect Brock Holt in the lineup at third base tonight. However, it’s great news that there’s no structural damage and that the Red Sox should not have to place him on the disabled list. For one of the team’s key players (and particular one to whom they made a large financial commitment), this news is nothing but positive for the Red Sox.