Eli White is officially on the injured list with a right foot ligament injury, making him the second center fielder the Boston Red Sox have benched in just five days. This is a brutal blow for a team fighting for a playoff spot, especially after Ceddanne Rafaela also hit the IL so recently.
Another One Bites the Dust in Center Field
White, a seven-year veteran, suffered this nasty injury during Tuesday’s 6-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. He crashed into the grated fence in Fenway Park’s center field, bending his foot awkwardly. That’s a tough way to go down. He sat out Wednesday’s 6-4 defeat to the Angels while getting MRI and CT scans, but the news isn’t great. Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters on Friday that White is now in a walking boot and using crutches. Tracy can’t give a concrete timeline, but he expects White to miss the remainder of the regular season, with only 15 games left to play. This is a straight-up gut punch for Boston, losing two key outfielders at such a critical moment.
The Replacements: Who Steps Up?
With White out, the Red Sox are shuffling their outfield deck big time. Jarren Duran is starting in center field for Friday’s game against the Kansas City Royals, and he’ll likely alternate there with Nate Eaton depending on the opposing pitcher. Roman Anthony is slated to play left field in Duran’s place. Eaton, who sports a .253 average and a .748 OPS, was called up from Triple-A Worcester when Rafaela first went on the IL, and he’s only appeared in one game since then. To fill White’s roster spot, infielder Anthony Siegler was recalled from Triple-A. Siegler had a .267/.381/.410 slash line with 10 doubles and 27 RBI at Worcester, and in an earlier stint with Boston this season, he hit .250 with a .737 OPS, 12 doubles, and 13 RBI in 48 games, mostly at second base. Eli White himself had been acquired at the trade deadline from the Atlanta Braves and started all six games in center field since Rafaela got sidelined. In 27 games with Boston, he put up a .276/.300/.379 slash line with 1 home run, 3 doubles, and 12 RBI. Interestingly, his advanced metrics credited him with -1 Defensive Runs Saved across 123 innings in center between both the Braves and Red Sox.
What’s Next for Boston’s Playoff Hopes?
This is a high-stakes situation. Going into Friday’s game, the Red Sox are 80-67. That puts them in the American League’s second wild-card playoff spot, a comfortable six games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians. But losing two center fielders in less than a week, right when you’re trying to nail down a playoff berth? That’s a serious test for Boston. Every game with just 15 left is going to matter.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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