Red Sox shortstop Stephen Drew is out of the lineup for the fourth straight game tonight after he aggravated his right oblique injury during batting practice on Wednesday. According to Tim Britton of the Providence Journal, Drew could be sent for an MRI tomorrow if he’s still dealing with discomfort.
Drew signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Red Sox late last month and played seven tune-up games in the minors before making his season debut last Monday. The 31-year-old was showing signs of rust prior to the oblique injury, going just 1-for-14 with five strikeouts. These type of injuries are notoriously tricky, so it wouldn’t be surprising if a trip to the disabled list is next.
Jonathan Herrera has been filling in at shortstop this week, but he hasn’t done much at the plate. It will be interesting to see if Xander Bogaerts slides back over to shortstop if Drew’s injury requires a lengthy absence, as it would give the Red Sox another way to get Brock Holt into the lineup. With Shane Victorino set to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Saturday, they could use the extra flexibility.
