Vaughn Grissom doubtful for Opening Day after suffering a groin injury
Vaughn Grissom’s debut with the Red Sox is on hold. The new second baseman suffered a “slight” groin strain while doing drills earlier this week. It is doubtful that he will be ready for Opening Day on March 28.
“He’ll be out. We’re gonna shut him down,” Cora told reporters, including WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “It happened two days ago taking ground balls. He had an MRI yesterday. We feel comfortable where we’re at but obviously uncomfortable with where we’re at. It’s gonna take more than a few days. Obviously, no timetable. But with this now, Opening Day might not happen for him.”
Grissom was expected to play on Saturday against the Nationals but has now been shutdown from baseball activities.
The 23-year-old was going to be penciled in as Boston’s starter at second base after he was acquired from the Braves for Chris Sale. Prior to this groin injury, Vaughn had be dealing with a hamstring issue that he suffered while attending “Story Camp” back in January. The two injuries aren’t ideal for the Red Sox who will now look to Enmanuel Valdez and Pablo Reyes as potential replacements while Grissom is out.
“He’s a good second baseman and he can hit,” Alex Cora said. “If he can get better defensively, we’ve got a really good second baseman and he has been doing that... He’s a little bit stronger, more agile. He’s doing well.”
Valdez played in 49 games last season and should be considered the top replacement for Grissom. The left-handed hitter batted .266 with six homers and .764 OPS for the Red Sox. Reyes is expected to make the team as a utility man off the bench, he is out of minor league options.
Valdez batted ninth for the Red Sox against the Nationals on Saturday. He is known for his bat and is considered a below average infielder. Out of 171 chances at second base in the majors, he’s committed seven errors and in the process owning a .959 fielding percentage.
This past winter, he spent time in the Dominican Republic working with former Red Sox third base coach, Carlos Febles.
Cora believes in Valdez and thinks he can play the position at a high level while Grissom is on the shelf.
“When you feel like you cannot finish plays with your arm, then you’re gonna rush, you’re gonna make bad decisions, and I do believe that’s what happened early on, “ Cora said. “He was better the second time he came up, and now he’s moving well, he’s working hard, he’s in constant communication with (shortstop) Trevor (Story) which is great.”
The loss of Grissom is disappointing for the club who suffered their first major health setback of the spring. Grissom’s development this spring was one of the more interesting storylines for the Red Sox. His two injuries aren’t an encouraging start for a player the club is relying on to be Story’s double play partner.
