Alex Verdugo

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• Red Sox's Alex Verdugo: Swings against velocity

  5D ago •

  Verdugo was allowed to step into the batter's box for Saturday's simulated game, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports. Verdugo wasn't scheduled to bat against Nathan Eovaldi, one of the hardest throwers in the majors, but he asked to face him and manager Ron Roenicke obliged. The outfielder saw it as a way to test the stress fracture in his back that limited him during spring training and threatened his availability for the start of the regular season before the pandemic put a temporary halt to the 2020 season. "I took a full swing, I swung and missed and had no pain, no discomfort," Verdugo said. "That was really reassuring. That's really what this is about. It's just to get my timing back and to reassure that my body, physically everything, is handling the progression." Verdugo is expected to be ready to roll when the season opens up in three weeks.

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• Red Sox's Alex Verdugo: Declares self fully healthy

  05/04/2020 •

  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.

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• Red Sox's Alex Verdugo: Not progressing as quickly as hoped

  04/14/2020 •

  Red Sox interim manager Ron Roenicke said Tuesday that Verdugo (back) has not been able to progress as quickly as the team hoped because of the shutdown, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports. Two weeks ago, general manager Chaim Bloom addressed the media and said Verdugo was "coming along well" in his recovery from a stress fracture in his back. It sounds like Roenicke's tune was slightly different; Verdugo has been taking full swings and is running well, but it's apparently been difficult for him to do all of the rehab work from home. While it's a bit disconcerting how long this issue has been lingering, Verdugo could still end up being ready for games whenever play resumes.

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• Red Sox's Alex Verdugo: Making progress

  03/31/2020 •

  Red Sox general manager Chaim Bloom said Monday that Verdugo is "coming along well" in his recovery from a stress fracture in his back, Bill Koch of The Providence Journal reports. Verdugo had resumed swinging prior to the league-wide shutdown, though he wasn't expected to be ready to play by Opening Day. He still doesn't have a concrete timetable, and Bloom's update doesn't add a ton of clarity to the outfielder's situation, but the delayed season presumably gives Verdugo a shot to not miss any time. A more precise timeline for the Red Sox's new right fielder should emerge once teams are able to resume baseball activities.

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• Red Sox's Alex Verdugo: Resumes swinging

  03/10/2020 •

  Verdugo (back) took 20 swings in a batting cage Monday and took part in on-field agility drills, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports. The young outfielder has been battling a stress fracture in his back. He hasn't officially been ruled out for Opening Day, but time is getting quite short for him to build up to game shape with just over two weeks until the season starts. The fact that he was able to resume baseball activities suggests he shouldn't miss too much time to start the year.

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