This isn’t how Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu envisioned his spring training beginning.
After a strong season in which he won a Gold Glove and finished sixth in American League Rookie of the Year voting, Abreu was sidelined upon arrival at camp due to a viral gastrointestinal illness.
The Red Sox have shut down the 25-year-old from baseball activities, and that remains the case as manager Alex Cora provided an update on Tuesday before Boston’s exhibition game against the Atlanta Braves.
“He can work out. He cannot do baseball activities yet,” Cora told reporters, according to MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “They are getting the results today. So we’re still waiting.”
The team remains in a wait-and-see mode with Abreu, who has lost weight due to the illness. He underwent additional lab work on Monday, and the results are still pending.
Abreu was projected to be an Opening Day starter in the outfield alongside Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran. While it’s uncertain whether his illness will affect that plan, there is still a month until the regular season begins, giving him time to recover.
Acquired by the Red Sox at the 2022 trade deadline in the Christian Vázquez deal, Abreu hit .253 with 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, and eight stolen bases in his first full MLB season. He also led all AL outfielders with nine assists.
Abreu is currently the only Red Sox position player fully sidelined, while Masataka Yoshida continues to recover from shoulder surgery and Rafael Devers makes progress after dealing with shoulder issues last season.
