“Red Sox third base prospect Tyler Miller delivered a clutch two-run homer in the ninth inning off Rays reliever Jack Hartman at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida, on Saturday, securing a 6-4 win for Boston in their Grapefruit League opener.
However, the positives stopped there. The team later shared a series of troubling injury updates affecting four players, including two starting pitchers, a promising rookie reliever, and a Gold Glove outfielder who finished sixth in last year’s AL Rookie of the Year voting.”
Abreu Shows Up to Camp With Debilitating Illness
“The outfielder in question is 25-year-old Venezuelan right fielder Wilyer Abreu, who made his Red Sox debut in 2023 after being acquired from the Houston Astros in a trade deadline deal for catcher Christian Vázquez the previous season. Vázquez, a key player in Boston’s 2018 World Series-winning team, later helped Houston secure a championship in 2022 before signing a three-year, $30 million contract with the Minnesota Twins that winter.
Since joining Boston, Abreu has emerged as one of the top defensive right fielders in baseball. In 2024, he led all MLB right fielders with 17 defensive runs saved and recorded nine outfield assists, making him the first Red Sox rookie to win a Gold Glove since Fred Lynn in 1975. Offensively, he contributed with 15 home runs and 33 doubles.
However, nearly two weeks into spring training, Abreu has been sidelined due to a gastrointestinal virus. He arrived at camp already dealing with the illness and has since received abnormal lab results, preventing him from swinging a bat or participating in fielding drills, according to Red Sox beat writer Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
“The labs came in Friday,” Cotillo reported, noting that Abreu appeared “noticeably slimmer.” Red Sox manager Alex Cora added, “There’s still something there. He’ll get another lab on Monday, and we’ll see where we’re at. Until we get clearance from the doctors, we’ll stay away from him.””
Bello, Crawford Stalled in Recovery Process
“The Red Sox also received troubling updates regarding their pitching staff. At the start of spring training last week, manager Alex Cora revealed that right-handed starters Kutter Crawford and Brayan Bello were still dealing with lingering injuries.
Crawford, 28, has been managing soreness in the patellar tendon of his right knee since late last season but continued to pitch through it. Meanwhile, Bello arrived at camp with discomfort in his pitching shoulder. According to Cora on Saturday, neither pitcher has shown signs of improvement.
The 25-year-old Dominican right-hander has yet to throw bullpen sessions, Cora told reporters, as reported by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. However, the manager did not rule out the possibility of Bello being ready for Opening Day, saying, “We’ll see how it goes next week.”
Crawford’s situation appears more concerning. “With Kutter, that’s the one it looks like is going to be long,” Cora said, according to Cotillo. “Opening Day, right now, is an ‘if.’ Let’s see what happens.””
Rookie Lefty Shut Down But Avoids the Knife
“The final injury—at least the Red Sox hope it’s the last—concerns 27-year-old rookie left-handed reliever Zach Penrod. After making his MLB debut in 2024, Penrod impressed by allowing just one run over four innings in seven appearances. However, Cora announced that he will be sidelined for an extended period due to elbow inflammation.
On a slightly positive note, imaging on Penrod’s pitching elbow revealed no ligament damage, meaning he will avoid surgery that could have sidelined him for the entire season.”
