It took a few months for Caleb Durbin to settle in with the Boston Red Sox, but since he's found his swing to go with his impeccable defense, he's been one of the team's best players. His fan-favorite arc has also been helped along by a strange contribution.
Against the Colorado Rockies on June 24, Durbin dove into first base in the third inning while the Red Sox had a 3-0 lead. As he did so, his pinky finger knocked into the bag and dislocated, which forced him to leave the game early. He wasn't even safe at first base, highlighting the risk of the gutsy play he tried to make.
Despite Durbin's finger pointing "a direction it shouldn't," in interim manager Chad Tracy's words, the third baseman had the pinky put back in it's socket and he kept playing without missing any time to the injured list. The injury has re-triggered a few times, including on August 6 — the same night Durbin happened to be Boston's extra innings hero against the Chicago White Sox — but it hasn't slowed Durbin down.
Durbin got another game-saving moment in Boston's August 13 matchup with the Toronto Blue Jays. In the eighth inning, Durbin crushed his second grand slam of the season to score the Sox's first runs since the first frame. He did it with the left pinky slot cut out of his batting gloves, as his ailing finger is to swollen to fit inside.
Red Sox fans are in love with Caleb Durbin's 'whatever it takes' mentality as he plays through injury
Arguably the most impressive part of Durbin's tear is his ability to grit his teeth and bear the pain. NESN's Jahmai Webster asked him about his injury after his walk-off and his grand slam. He's said "it's a pinky, it's all good," and "it's good enough, that's all that matters," both in true dirt dog fashion.
Durbin's success is a key part of Boston's 180 and historic winning stretches and fans have fallen in love with him for it. He's batting .253/.322/.410 on the season after his brutal start to the year, but he's slashing .306/.374/.507 with a 144 wRC+ since June 1. He's irreplaceable at third base, with four outs above average and 12 defensive runs saved, which leads the American League by a wide margin.
Durbin's commitment to staying on the field has helped the Red Sox establish themselves as one of the best teams in a wide-open AL. His dedication to the game has absolutely earned him fan-favorite status in Boston (and it should also earn him a day or two off to stay sharp for the playoff race).
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