The Boston Red Sox have placed second baseman Ia Kinsler on the 10-day disabled list and called up Ton Renda to take his roster spot.
Ian Kinsler was a solid new addition acquired by the Boston Red Sox before last month’s trade deadline. Unfortunately, he lasted only three games before going down with an injury.
The Red Sox have placed Kinsler on the 10-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring.
The #RedSox today placed 2B Ian Kinsler on the 10-day DL with a left hamstring strain; selected INF Tony Renda to the active major league roster from Triple-A Pawtucket; and transferred 2B Dustin Pedroia to the 60-day DL. Renda will wear number 38.
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 4, 2018
Kinsler came up hobbling after rounding third base en route to scoring Boston’s first run in a 4-1 victory over the Yankees on Friday. That led to Mookie Betts unexpected returning to play second base for a few innings, although that’s not an ideal long-term solution.
In need of reinforcements, the Red Sox have called up infielder Tony Renda. To facilitate the move, Dustin Pedroia has been transferred to the 60-day DL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Renda is hitting .353 with a .928 OPS, five home runs and five steals in 47 games split between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket. The 25-year had a cup of coffee with the Cincinnati Reds in 2016. He hit a meager .183 with a .463 OPS in 67 plate appearances.
Boston’s infield is banged up with Rafael Devers, Blake Swihart, Pedroia and now Kinsler all on the DL. This seems like the break glass in case of emergency scenario that the Red Sox scooped up Brandon Phillips for. The problem is the veteran isn’t performing, producing a .239/.317/.366 line in 19 minor league games. We expected Phillips would need some time to find his swing after sitting out most of the year but it’s getting to the point where the 37 year old may no longer be useful.
So, Renda will get another shot in the big leagues. Or at least the opportunity to sit on the bench. With Xander Bogaerts returning to the lineup on Saturday, Brock Holt will slide over to cover second base. He’ll see the bulk of the playing time at the position until Kinsler returns. Devers should also be back soon. When he reclaims his spot at third base then Eduardo Nunez will be back in the mix at second base.
Hopefully, Kinsler won’t be on the shelf for long. He’s only hitting .244 with 13 home runs and 34 RBIs this season but was heating up leading up to the trade. Kinsler is 4-for-10 with two RBIs since joining the Red Sox. His Gold Glove-caliber defense also solidifies a second base position that has been a bit of a concern for the Red Sox in Pedroia’s absence.
Boston’s 7.5 game lead in the AL East means they have enough of a cushion to wait out some of these injuries. The priority is keeping everyone healthy and fresh for the postseason.