CLEVELANDIt certainly didnt look good when Will Middlebrooks took a fastball squarely off the outside of his right wrist in the ninth inning Friday night against the Cleveland Indians.
Middlebrooks wrist immediately went limp as he doubled over in pain, and he was replaced by pinch-runner Nick Punto. Sox manager Bobby Valentine said Middlebrooks was due to get some X-rays at a nearby hospital following the game. The rookie third baseman was still in the locker room following the game, but couldnt open the door to the trainers room with his injured hand and instead needed David Ortiz to do it for him.
Valentine was hoping the ball hit Middlebrooks more in the meaty area of the wrist, but it looked and sounded like the ball made impact directly on the bone.
He got hit pretty good in a bad place. Hes going for X-rays, said Valentine. I doubt that hes in there Saturday. I hope that its only a day, but that is doubtful.
I was hoping it was going to be a little more down on the meat, but this was right on the bone.
Middlebrooks was 0-for-3 in Friday nights win before leaving the game with the possible wrist injury, and he could be yet another in a long line of Sox injuries plaguing the team this year.