The Boston Red Sox got an All-Star back but lost a starting pitcher for the season Friday during a 5-4, walk-off win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The return of third baseman Alex Bregman, who missed the previous 43 games with a strained right quad, was quickly dampened by the second-inning injury rookie Hunter Dobbins suffered.
While covering first base, Dobbins tore the ACL in his right knee. Although the 25-year-old right-hander completed the putout, Dobbins came up with a limp after landing awkwardly from the small jump he made to catch a throw from Red Sox first baseman Abraham Toro.
Advertisement
He tried to stay in the game, but manager Alex Cora sat him following Dobbins’ first warm-up pitch. Dobbins told reporters he tore the same ACL when he played football in high school, per The Associated Press.
Dobbins also said his season’s done.
“I knew what happened,” he said Saturday, via NESN. “You’re trying to come out here and compete with these guys, trying to win games, and then just to know that you’re done for the year is pretty tough.”
The Red Sox placed him on the 15-day IL and recalled Richard Fitts from Triple-A Worcester. Fitts, another right-handed pitcher, will take Dobbins’ spot.
Advertisement
Friday marked Dobbins’ first start for Boston since June 20, and his 11th start this season. He was previously on the IL with a right elbow injury.
A 2021 draft pick of the Red Sox, Dobbins made his MLB debut on April 6. He’ll finish his rookie campaign with a 4-1 record and a 4.13 ERA.
Dobbins called Ceddanne Rafaela’s two-run walk-off home run Friday night “almost a fitting way to win that game” after he went down in its initial stages. He added that it was cool that his teammates picked him up that way.
The Red Sox have now won eight games in a row. At 51-45, Boston is in third place in the AL East standings, five games back of the surging Toronto Blue Jays, who have won 13 of their past 15 games. The second-place New York Yankees are also catching fire before the break with a five-game win streak.
