Red Sox Injury Update: Kyle Schwarber is heading to Worcester

Red Sox Nation could be meeting Kyle Schwarber very soon

We got a bit of news from Red Sox skipper Alex Cora earlier this afternoon and it should be something that makes the fans happy. Boston was relatively quiet at the Trade Deadline but their biggest move was trading for power slugger Kyle Schwarber. The problem is he’s on the IL with a battered hamstring and now he has a wonky groin. While we’ve been told it could be a while before we see him do any game-related activities, that timetable has been expedited.

AC spoke to the media today as he does before every game and gave Red Sox Nation an update on the big bat from Ohio, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.

“There’s a good chance he’ll be there tomorrow,” Cora said.

The “there,” that Cora is referring to would be none other than Polar Park in Worcester. Getting another strong bat in the lineup while this squad is sputtering is perfect timing. Obviously, we don’t know which version of Schwarbs we’ll see in Boston as he had a killer May and June but was quiet in April and absent in July. But at this point, having another person in the batting order that can smash a ball to the moon is nothing but a positive.

We’ve seen Schwarber take plenty of batting practice as well as run the bases as of late, but we got our party rained on when it came out that he had tweaked his groin. It seems like he has recovered pretty well as he’ll be making his way to the Woo Sox and could even be in their lineup on Thursday against the Syracuse Mets. With Alex Verdugo likely to return from paternity leave in the next day or so, this lineup is about to get a massive infusion of sluggers.

“If it’s up to him, he’ll probably say hi to the guys and come back and perform,” Cora joked. “I think we’ve done everything possible to get him to a spot that, offensively, he feels right. Indoor, outdoor, with everything. Velocity, spin, everything.”

The update today came as a bit of a surprise, at least to me, because as late as yesterday both Cora and Schwarber didn’t hint that a rehab assignment was looming. Ian Brown of RedSox.com captured the thoughts of both the manager and slugger yesterday and both were optimistic yet still cryptic.

Both spoke about being cautious with the injuries that Schwarber is dealing with and not wanting to rush him back too soon. That’s been the common path for the Red Sox the last few seasons as they’ve taken their time with each and every injured player in order to get them as ready for a return as possible.

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“He’s trending good,” said Cora. “He feels a lot better from the groin thing, the hamstring, he’s been running the bases and doing everything. I’m not going to give you a day — we never do that — but, you know, he feels good. We’re feeling a lot better. Much better today than actually over the weekend. We’ll keep working with him and see where it takes us.”

Well, we got that day, sort of. Again, it feels like Thursday is the big day for Schwarbs to make his return to active play for the Woo Sox which means the clock will be ticking on his debut for the Red Sox. I, for one, can’t wait to see this guy absolutely murder baseballs left and right, especially at Fenway Park. I’m all about the big man sending the ball into the bullpen on a nightly basis.

Many fans weren’t thrilled with the Red Sox when the Trade Deadline came and went and I understand it. Getting Schwarber is still a good move and though he’s just a rental he’ll be impactful in this lineup. It’s still unknown how long he’ll be in Worcester, and as Cora joked, if it was up to Schwarbs it won’t be long. As Boston is grasping at straws right now adding another guy who can smash homers and knock in runs will only boost this ailing lineup.