Red Sox think they ‘dodged a bullet’ after new addition leaves with injury
BOSTON — Garrett Cooper’s right wrist is sore after leaving the Red Sox’ 4-0 win over the Giants in the fifth inning Tuesday. But the team thinks he will be OK.
Giants reliever Sean Hjelle hit him with a 94.8 mph fastball during his third at-bat. He went 0-for-2 with two strikeouts in his first two at-bats.
“He’s doing OK,” manager Alex Cora said. “Just sore. We’ll see where he’s at tomorrow. We dodged a bullet there.”
The Red Sox are calling it a right wrist contusion.
Asked if Cooper has already had imaging done, Cora said, “Not that I know of.”
Cooper was playing in his first game for the Red Sox after they acquired him from the Cubs on Saturday for cash. Boston traded for the 33-year-old to replace first baseman Triston Casas who is on the 60-day injured list after he fractured some of the cartilage which connects his ribcage to his sternum.
Cooper, a 2022 All-Star, went 10-for-37 (.270) with a .341 on-base percentage, .432 slugging percentage, .774 OPS, one homer, one double, one triple, three runs, six RBIs, four walks and 13 strikeouts in 12 games for the Cubs.
He said before Tuesday’s game that the Red Sox pursued him in free agency this past offseason before he signed with Chicago.
The Red Sox have 13 players on the injured list, including three pitchers and two positional players on the 60-day IL. Every healthy positional player on the 40-man roster right now is on Boston’s active 26-man roster. There are no positional players from the 40-man roster left in the minors.
