Injured Red Sox infielder might begin rehab assignment shortly after All-Star break
Red Sox second baseman Vaughn Grissom might begin a rehab assignment following the All-Star break.
Grissom, who is dealing with a right hamstring stain, ran the bases before Saturday afternoon’s game against the Royals.
“After that (the break), he’ll go to Worcester to work out with them,” manager Alex Cora said Saturday at Fenway Park. “And then probably he starts a rehab assignment close to that. Around that time.”
The WooSox will begin the second half of the season on the road against Lehigh Valley on July 19. It’s possible that his rehab will begin “close to that,” Cora said.
Grissom’s first season with the Red Sox has been riddled with injuries dating back to the spring. He missed the first 32 games on the IL with a left hamstring strain. After he was activated off the IL, Grissom went just 12-for-81 (.148) with one extra-base hit in 23 games before again landing on the IL with a right hamstring strain. He has missed 34 games and counting on his current IL stint.
The 23-year-old was candid in a recent interview with MassLive’s Chris Cotillo on whether or not the front office has lost faith in him.
“I just want to play my game, and if they like it, they like it. If they don’t, (expletive) it,” Grissom said in the interview. “I’m here for a reason. I’m sure there’s a next guy up if they don’t like it. That’s the ever-revolving door of baseball. Just trying to play my game and help the team win.”
Grissom is focused on getting healthy and back on the field for the Red Sox, but he also reflects on the beginning of his tenure in Boston.
“It’s tough. But it could be worse,” Grissom told Cotillo. “It’s one of those things where you have to trust the process. Everybody has their (bad) year. This is mine. In a way, it’s nice to get it out of the way, but it sucks. Not a lot of guys go through this game and don’t get hurt.
"Look at all of the stars that are down right now... It’s part of the game. It sucks when it happens to you because you never think it will. You never think you’ll get into a car crash, then you get into a car crash. It’s my turn. Everyone has to do it.”
