Red Sox lose Kevin Plawecki and Yairo Muñoz to injury on Sunday
The Boston Red Sox had one hell of a chance to walk away with another victory on Sunday, it would’ve been their third in a row. Not only did they add another tally to the loss column but they also had to of their hottest players leave the game due to injury. Both Kevin Plawecki and Yairo Muñoz had to exit the afternoon duel early, leaving Boston shorthanded as the game progressed.
Despite losing both the Red Sox offense still, put up eight runs, but the bullpen couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain. We all know the narratives and what happened, I won’t bore you with more than I’ve already said. Let’s get to the meat and potatoes of why we’re here, and no, I don’t mean Mitch Moreland. We gotta get over it, he’s gone and he’s never looking back. Each player was scheduled to receive some attention today as they were to be assessed today for tomorrow’s double-header.
Red Sox OF Yairo Munoz suffering from strained hip
I’m going to start with Muñoz since there is less to know about his ailment than Plawecki. The outfielder has been absolute fire since he made his debut with the Red Sox. he’s got just six games under his belt in Boston but he’s posting a sick .476/.476/.762/1.238 line with one homer and four RBI.
I don’t know much about him beyond that he’s only 25 and the Cardinals gave up on him pretty quickly. If this is what he’s capable of, then I hope Chaim Bloom keeps him in Boston for as long as he can. He won’t be a free agent until 2025 and that’s perfectly fine with me, I’d even like a new deal for him that would help avoid arbitration and keep him here longer.
He led off the game yesterday with a single and right away you could see something was off. As Ron Roenicke and the trainer looked on, Muñoz tried to show he was ok but something was definitely off. It’s being said that he’s suffering from a hip strain. He was to be examined today to see if he’ll miss any time, and if so, how much.
"“His foot was planted and he tried to turn it and just felt something in his hip,” Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said."
Red Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki has negative X-Ray after HBP
If you’ve followed anything I’ve written or my live-game coverage then you know I love me some Kevin Plawecki. Here’s a guy that was brought into camp to fight for the backup slot and he more than earned it between spring training and summer camp. Not only did he secure his position as the number two to Christian Vazquez but he’s thrived with every opportunity that he’s been given.
Let’s look at his numbers, .354/.404/.500/.904 with one homer and 11 RBI through 15 games. Oh yeah, he got the party started yesterday with a 3-run homer in the first inning. Big Weck takes whatever Roenicke throws at him in stride and is always ready to go whenever he gets the call. It’s that mentality that allows him to perform to his best and has garnered the respect of his teammates everywhere he’s played.
"“I prepare every day like I’m going to play, whether I’m playing or not,” Plawecki said. “I stick to my same routine so that when I’m in there I can perform to the best of my ability and have no regrets in doing that. … It’s obviously good to have some results. I’ve been working my tail off over not only the past offseason but the past couple of years with numerous people.”"
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The catcher got plunked on the hand late in the game yesterday and at first, it looked like we may have seen the last of him in 2020. Luckily, the results from his X-Ray yesterday afternoon came back negative and nothing was broken. This is huge news for both the Red Sox and Plawecki as neither can afford a broken hand or wrist at this point in the season. Even if he has to miss some time to let it heal, he may not be lost for the remainder of the year and can continue to build on his strong campaign.
"“I thought I broke it,” Plawecki said. “I’ll be honest with you. But the big man upstairs was looking out for me. Thank goodness. Dodged a bullet.”"
I mentioned it above with Muñoz, but I’d love to see Weck-Dog in a Red Sox uniform for the foreseeable future. He’s about to turn 30 years old and has proven to be the perfect backup to Vazqy. Not only does he have a grasp of the pitching staff and what does and doesn’t work, but he can flat out do the damn thing in the batter’s box. Having someone that is reliable both behind the plate and at it is a rarity and should be rewarded.
The Red Sox have definitely dodged a bullet with Plawecki not breaking his hand yesterday but the jury is still out with Muñoz as we haven’t heard any updates as of yet. If both can come back and continue to be productive this season then it will only bode well for them going forward. I’d be thrilled to see them back on the 2021 roster and doing what they do best when we get a full 162 next year.