The Red Sox revealed a bit of good news on the injury front when they posted lineups for Saturday night and Eduardo Nunez was leading off and playing second base after injuring his hand on Friday night.
Speaking to the media before the game, manager John Farrell provided updates on a pair of other injured Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia and Jackie Bradley Jr.
Pedroia, who is trying to return from a knee injury, is progressing, but there is still no timetable for his return.
“(Pedroia) went through some early defensive work here already today,” Farrell told reporters. “We’ll go through full BP here as we’re getting ready to get on the field. So, he keeps making positive steps. Still, I don’t have a return date. But as far as the ramping up of activities and the intensity to it, that’s in the works.”
Farrell did provide good news on Jackie Bradley Jr., saying there is hope that Red Sox center fielder could be closer to a return than initially expected.
“Jackie, you know yesterday was a good day for him in terms of getting past some of the soreness and the swelling,” Farrell said. “The initiating and strengthening routine and the rehab. So, he was really encouraged and felt a lot more confident with where he was [Friday] compared to the day before even. There’s been a smaller splint that’s been applied, so that’s turning out to be hopefully on the shorter end than otherwise.
"The fact that he’s responded so favorably in the last 24 hours, there’s been a reduced size of the splint that he’s been using, where the wrist isn’t immobile, just the thumb is. So, you know, the coming days will have a lot to maybe impact his return.”