Jackie Bradley Jr. was catching fire. Although his last game was an 0-for-3, the last few days have been strong for the left-handed hitter.
The Boston Red Sox centerfielder continued that today, going 2-for-3 with a home run and one run batted in, as well as two runs scored. He didn’t get to finish the game though, as he left in the bottom of the seventh.
Bradley Jr. hurt his thumb sliding into home on an Eduardo Nunez double. While the initial x-rays came back negative, he’s still returning to Boston for an MRI.
If the injury turns out to be disabled-list worthy, the Red Sox will be losing a special player.
Jackie Bradley Jr. is one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball.
Meanwhile, his bat can be extremely dangerous. On the year, Bradley Jr. has a .262/.343/.432 slash line with 18 doubles and 14 home runs, as well as three triples. He’s driven in 54 runs and scored 50 more while stealing six bases.
That type of defensive and offensive production isn’t easy to replace.
The Red Sox have a few viable options though.
Of course, Chris Young is already on the roster, as is Brock Holt. Both will see time covering for Bradley Jr., but the Red Sox would still call up another outfielder.
The only problem is, the only other outfielder on the 40-man roster is Steve Selsky. Selsky has taken a major step backwards in Triple-A this year and is currently on the DL himself.
After that, there are three options not on the 40-man roster that I personally see.
Rusney Castillo‘s having a breakthrough year in Triple-A. One that shows what the Red Sox saw in him in the first place. He’s slashing .314/.350/.507 with 14 steals.
Sadly, Castillo’s contract is too much for Boston at the moment, and he’s on the DL as well.
Next up is Bryce Brentz.
Brentz is the most likely option. The right-handed hitter is riding a hot-streak and having his best season in the minors in years. In Triple-A, Brentz has a .279/.344/.538 slash line with 78 RBI and 70 runs scored. He’s mashed 20 doubles and 28 home runs already, as well as one triple.
Brentz’s power would be a welcome addition to the Boston lineup.
Finally, there’s Danny Mars.
Like Brentz and Castillo before him, Mars is having a career-year in the minors. This time though, he’s in Double-A.
Mars doesn’t have the power of Castillo, and definitely not Brentz. The switch-hitter does have excellent speed though, and the ability to put the ball in play.
Mars currently holds a .307/.352/.409 slash line with 20 doubles and six home runs, as well as three triples. He also has 46 RBI and 51 runs scored, while stealing 11 bases on the year.
What makes the 23-year-old an intriguing option is the fact that he’s Rule-5 eligible this offseason. That means the Red Sox will need to put Mars on the 40-man roster soon, or risk losing him.
If the injury is serious, the loss of Jackie Bradley Jr. will be a tough pill to swallow. The Red Sox should find some comfort in knowing that they’ve got some pretty solid backup plans though.
Hunter Noll is a Staff Writer for Outside Pitch MLB. Follow him on Twitter
The post Boston Red Sox: What potential Jackie Bradley Jr. injury means appeared first on OutsidePitchMLB.
