Adam Duvall started the 2023 season as arguably the hottest hitter on the planet. Entering Sunday's game with the Detroit Tigers, Duvall was batting .483 with a 1.683 OPS, four home runs, and 14 RBI in seven games, garnering the American League Player of the Week Award for the first week of the season.
The right-handed hitting Duvall also helped balance the left-handed hitting heavy Red Sox lineup while holding his own in centerfield. While nobody expected the streaky-hitting Duvall to keep this pace up for the entire season, Boston Red Sox fans could not help but dream about what Duvall could do over a full season.
On Sunday, these dreams quickly turned into a nightmare for Red Sox fans. As the Red Sox were completing their three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers on Sunday afternoon, Duvall injured his left wrist while diving to catch a fly ball from Spencer Torkelson in the bottom of the ninth inning. His glove seemed to get caught on the ground hyperextending his wrist. Duvall immediately knew he had injured himself and was removed from the game.
Can we ever have a moment of joy. Just one.
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) April 9, 2023
He had surgery on that same wrist last season. pic.twitter.com/4V4jhCb8VZ
Even more concerning is that this is the same wrist that required Duvall to undergo season-ending surgery last season. Manager Alex Cora could not assuage concerns when he told reporters after the game, “He’s getting X-rays right now, so we don’t know. We’ll know more tomorrow”.
Until further information is available Monday, Red Sox fans will be holding their collective breaths about how much time Duvall will miss. If he is to miss an extended amount of time, the Red Sox have several options to try and replace Duvall.