Boston Red Sox left fielder Hanley Ramirez left the team's game in the top of the first inning Monday night after crashing into the left-field wall in foul territory at Fenway Park.
Hanley Ramirez injury: Red Sox slugger suffers sprained left shoulder
The struggling Red Sox lost their best hitter to injury Monday night.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
After Ramirez left the game, the Red Sox announced that he suffered a sprain in his left shoulder, according to Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.
Following Boston’s loss, manager John Farrell confirmed the injury, saying that Ramirez is “day-to-day.” Farrell said the Red Sox are unsure if the outfielder will spend any time on the DL, but that could change depending upon how Ramirez’s feels over the next few days.
Given how much pain Ramirez appeared to be in, the initial news is positive for the Red Sox, though they’ll find out more in the coming days. Either way, it’s likely the slugger will miss some time with the injury.
On an ominous note, Ramirez has had two past surgeries on his left shoulder back in 2007 and 2011.
Ramirez initially made the catch on James Loney’s line drive but couldn’t slow down before running into the wall and dropping the ball. The 31-year-old outfielder immediately grabbed his left arm and looked to be favoring his shoulder.
Boston’s medical staff came out to check on Ramirez, who was in serious pain before leaving the game. Any missed time for Ramirez would be a big blow to the Red Sox, with the slugger belting 10 home runs already this season and owning a .609 slugging percentage coming into Monday.
The injury is another blow to Boston's depth after the club lost catcher Ryan Hanigan to a broken finger over the weekend. The Red Sox have lost seven of their last nine contests, and Ramirez's injury won't help their cause in the AL East.
Allen Craig took over for Boston in left field, and he figures to get some playing time with Ramirez out. Jackie Bradley Jr. could also earn some chances in the outfield after beginning the year well in Triple-A.
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