BOSTON — Maybe now there's more reason to think Hanley Ramirez can have a rebound season in 2018. Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, meanwhile, will be recovering from knee surgery and is expected to miss the start of the season.
Ramirez and Rodriguez both went to the operating table Tuesday. Ramirez, the designated hitter and first baseman who turns 34 in December, had left shoulder surgery — an announcement he made on Twitter with a picture of himself at the hospital.
Ramirez's surgery is considered relatively minor.
Rodriguez's right knee ligament reconstruction surgery, however, has a recovery time of six months, which means that's roughly when the Sox expect him back in the majors. But the timetable is imprecise, and either way, the Sox' starting pitching depth may have to be addressed in the offseason.
Rodriguez, who turns 25 in April, has had been bothered by the right knee for most of the past two seasons. He missed about six weeks this season after dislocating his knee and missed the start of the 2016 season after injuring the knee in spring training. Rodriguez was 6-7 with a 4.19 ERA last season and is 19-20, 4.23 in 25 career appearances, 24 starts in three seasons for Boston.
Here's what the Red Sox said in a release about the two surgeries:
Boston Red Sox
HANLEY RAMIREZ AND EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ UNDERGO SUCCESSFUL SURGERIES
BOSTON, MA – First baseman/designated hitter Hanley Ramirez and left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez underwent successful surgeries today.
Ramirez underwent a left shoulder arthroscopy and debridement. The procedure was performed by Dr. James Andrews at the Andrews Institute in Pensacola, FL. Ramirez is expected to be ready for the 2018 season.
Rodriguez underwent a right knee patellofemoral ligament reconstruction. The procedure was also performed by Dr. Andrews at the Andrews Institute in Pensacola. Rodriguez is expected to return to pitching in approximately six months.
Ramirez was bothered by both shoulders in 2017, limiting his performance at the plate and also his time at first base. He had a .750 OPS in the regular season after posting an .866 figure a year earlier. He was productive in the Sox' Division Series loss to the Astros, going 8-for-14.