Boston Red Sox catcher David Ross left as quickly as he returned and has been placed on the 15-day disabled list after aggravating an injury Friday.
The team confirmed the news on Twitter and detailed further roster shuffling to make up for the lost production:
Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald notes that injury is a “rupture,” but that the time span still calls for an optimistic outlook:
Interestingly enough, perhaps Lauber is on to something—Ross recently told the media, via Jason Mastrodonato of Masslive.com, that the injury would “feel a lot better” if it ruptured.
Now 37 years old, Ross has spent the past two seasons in Boston and performed as a solid platoon when not injured:
Friday, Ross returned against the New York Yankees for his first start since July 28 and had to leave the game in the seventh inning. His injury means 23-year-old Christian Vazquez—owner of a .250//295/.350 slash line—moves into a full-time starting role and provides some kick to the lineup at the plate.
Dan Butler also gets a shot at playing time after being called up and is happy about the opportunity, as noted by Tim Britton of the Providence Journal:
“I’m sure you guys have heard it every time everybody’s come up: You can’t explain how exciting this is,” said Butler, who was recalled with David Ross landing on the 15-day disabled list. “It’s a real exciting time for me right now.”
For the 49-60, fifth-place Red Sox, the injury may prove to be a blessing in disguise as younger players get shots to prove their worth as the front office eyes next season.
With no indication based on recent trades that this is a long-term rebuild, the more young guys given a chance, the merrier. Perhaps a proverbial diamond in the rough will be unearthed as a result.
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