Middle Infield Curse
Good news Red Sox fans. Chang and Hernandez are out of their slumps. Almost took 30 ABs for their next hit. Ouch!
Bad news. For the year so far, the infield excluding Devers is batting .137. That’s Change, Hernandez, Arroyo, and Casas. This is after a good day at the plate against the Angels at home (4/15/23).
Yes it's early. But it's 15 games in!
Kike Hernandez - 15 games/51 ABs
Tristan Casas - 15 games/45 ABs
Yu Chang - 10 games/20 ABs
Christian Arroyo - 14 games/44 ABs
Then add insult to injury, against the red hot Rays having 1st baseman Bobby Dalbec playing shortstop as if it was desperation.
This is a disaster. After the Bruins and Celtics finish up it's going to be Red Sox until pre-season (I mean do we all really watch training camp? Let's be honest with ourselves).
Pitching outside Kenley Jansen is in limbo, Devers and Verdugo are the only consistent hitters and Devers cannot hit with bases loaded, and the farm system isn't ready to call up a middle infielder or starting pitcher to stop the bleeding.
“Ever since Xander left, the Red Sox will be cursed.”
Early, but something's in the air. And it isn't tea, coffee, or a good brewski.
There are plenty of prospects. Chaim Bloom must be very pleased hearing that (sarcasm, we are furious). Although if the organization stays the course, no one is ready until the earliest 2024.
Dishonorable Mention -
Adalberto Mondesi
Never played over 102 games at the MLB level. Best year was in 2018 and that was only in 75 games. 27 years old and 28 in July. I mean, this is reaching.
Career Slashline Stats -
Plus side he does have 133 stolen bases and caught 26 times. But with his injury history, how are those legs? Let's not pull a Jacoby Ellsbury now.
Outside of his knee injury he is recovering from nothing too alarming or out of the ordinary. Hamstring and oblique injuries happen. They weren't major. Now if it was in the Troy Tulowitski in the double heel surgery, hip, etc that would be red flagged.
We shall see what happens in his return, but as the 2023 Red Sox goes, Chaim blows, not enough pitching, hitters look lost, ownership isn't being accountable, and this team is making New Englanders want to fast forward summer to watch hockey and basketball regular season again. The Dunkies coffee is half empty.