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Verdugo (back) said Monday that he feels "100 percent" physically and relayed that he has resumed hitting at the Red Sox's spring training facility in Florida, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. "Whenever the season starts, I'll be ready," Verdugo said.
Before the Red Sox acquired him from Los Angeles in February, Verdugo had been limited during the offseason by an oblique injury he suffered last August, but it was a stress fracture in his back that kept him sidelined throughout spring training. The back issue looked like it would force him to the injured list to begin the season, but the MLB's ongoing hiatus has since afforded him sufficient recovery time. Whenever the Red Sox are cleared to resume full-squad workouts, Verdugo's activity may be monitored carefully, but assuming he avoids any further setbacks, he should get the green light to play when the season begins. A healthy Verdugo should fill at least the strong side of a platoon in the outfield, with Kevin Pillar likely moving into a fourth-outfielder role as a result.
