The Boston Red Sox have lost first baseman Mitch Moreland to the injured list again, clearing a spot for the return of Marco Hernandez.
Mitch Moreland‘s return to the Boston Red Sox lineup didn’t last long. Not even one full game.
The veteran first baseman recently missed 10 games with a low back strain. He was activated prior to Friday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays but was removed after the sixth inning with a strained right quad that will force him back to the injured list.
Prior to today’s doubleheader against the Rays, the #RedSox made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/NbaeIRl3ks
— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 8, 2019
Michael Chavis filled in as the injury replacement to begin the seventh inning last night and should see the bulk of the playing time at first base until Moreland returns. The rookie is in the lineup for Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader as the first baseman.
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The depth at the position will be thin during Moreland’s absence with Steve Pearce still sidelined indefinitely. Sam Travis is with the big league club, although he’s in left field this afternoon and has been used sparingly since he was called up. Boston has several versatile infielders capable of playing first base but none of them can match Moreland’s Gold Glove-caliber defense.
Moreland is hitting a meager .225 this season but he has a team-leading 13 home runs and a career-high .859 OPS. His power will be sorely missed in a lineup that ranks in the middle of the pack in home runs.
The Red Sox have called up Marco Hernandez to take Moreland’s roster spot. It’s been a long journey back from a shoulder injury that has kept the infielder out of the majors since 2017. Hernandez owns a .284 batting average and .676 OPS in 61 career games.
Hernandez hit .299/.356/.442 with two home runs and three steals in 42 minor league games this season. He can’t replace Moreland’s power but his bat can play at this level and he’s capable of covering multiple infield positions. If nothing else, Hernandez working his way back to the majors following a seemingly never-ending series of setbacks is a feel-good story.
Right-handed pitcher Josh Smith has also been called up as the 26th man for today’s doubleheader. He’ll get the start in the day game but can’t be expected to last long. Smith owns a 4.91 ERA in 7 1/3 innings for the Red Sox this season over four appearances, including one start.
If this essentially turns into a bullpen game then it will put a lot of pressure on David Price to go deep in the nightcap.
Boston already dropped the series opener last night and they are relying on the arm of someone who wouldn’t even be on the roster if it weren’t for an MLB rule allowing teams to add an extra player for doubleheaders. It’s a good thing Price has pitched like an ace this season. He’ll need to be in order to prevent the Red Sox from falling further behind in the AL East.