Red Sox depleted infield gets worse with Marco Hernandez injury

Boston Red Sox utility infielder Marco Hernandez left Wednesday’s game with a left shoulder injury in the top of the first inning.

With a runner on second and no one out, Orioles center fielder Adam Jones chopped a ground ball to Marco Hernandez‘s left side that proved too much for the young infielder to handle. He was charged with an error on the play but more importantly, was forced to exit the game with a left shoulder strain.

It’s been an up-and-down ride for the 24-year old. In just his second stint in the majors, he’s had the opportunity to play every day but has struggled to prove he’s completely ready to be a productive major league player.

With their starting third baseman, Pablo Sandoval, injured and backup, Brock Holt, out with vertigo, they’ve taken what they can get from Hernandez. His versatility has proven valuable, as he’s split time between third base, second, and shortstop. However, his major league inexperience and unfamiliarity with the hot corner have been a challenge. In seven minor league season’s, he’s spent the vast majority of his time at shortstop.

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Hernandez is batting .278 with a 70 wRC+ and 15:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The error he committed on Jones’ grounder was his fourth at third base and fifth on the season. As a unit, Red Sox third basemen have committed 10 errors this year – the most in the major leagues. Hernandez has contributed 40% of those errors despite playing in 72 of the team’s 232 innings at third, proving that despite his stellar Spring Training performance, he isn’t quite ready for the pace of competitive major league play.

The Red Sox have officially placed Hernandez on the 10-day DL with a left shoulder subluxation, meaning the earliest he could return is against the Rays on May 13. Josh Rutledge came in as a replacement in the first inning and made a nice charging play on a high chopper the following inning. Although, he did commit a throwing error later in the game for his first of the season.

This is, by all means, a bad spot for the Red Sox to be in. Aside from some fleeting moments of hope that Sandoval was on the comeback trail, the club has not gotten anything in the way of production from their third basemen. They’re collectively hitting .227/.264/.333 with a 60 wRC+, only trailing the Mets (59 wRC+) and Braves (54 wRC+) in that department. As a lifetime .261/.311/.396 hitter, I wouldn’t bank on Rutledge to provide the offensive spark the Red Sox have been missing from the position.

At 15-12 and just 2.5 games back of first place in the division, the club has time evaluate the situation thoroughly, but it’s becoming increasingly apparent that help will be needed at third base down the line. Without real time-frames on Sandoval’s nor Holt’s return, could it be time for Dave Dombrowski and co. to begin exploring solutions at third?

Star prospect Rafael Devers comes to mind, especially after going 7-for-12 with three home runs and five RBIs over the last three days. But at 20-years old and without any experience above AA, he’s not an ideal solution, though that’s not to say he won’t be making a trip up to the big leagues at some point this season.

Then there’s the chance that the Red Sox go out and trade for someone to fill the hole. There are sure to be major league third baseman available on the trade market between now and the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, namely Kansas City’s Mike Moustakas and Chicago’s Todd Frazier. Both are intriguing, since they have track records of success and are only tied to short-term contracts, however, neither are likely to change the courses of the team’s season at that point.

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With the amount of money tied to Sandoval and the lack of depth options behind him, they’re more likely to give him one last shot to prove he’s still capable of playing once he returns from injury. Despite a .217/.213/.269 slash line, his three home runs in 17 games are at least something to consider in a power-starved lineup, giving him some more leash when he gets back. But make no mistake, the longer things continue to deteriorate at third, the more likely the Red Sox are to pursue an upgrade.

Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include the official information on Hernandez’s injury and placement on the disabled list.