The Boston Red Sox have the talent to contend for a World Series Championship this season. They will need to overcome the loss of a key piece after shortstop Xander Boegarts suffered a cracked bone in his left ankle on Sunday and will miss 10-14 days. The 2016 AL All-Star has been placed on the 10-day disabled list. Now the Red Sox will need to push forward without him as they attempt to remain hot following an 8-1 start in their first nine games of the season.
In terms of the betting lines, the oddsmakers at BetDSI don’t expect too much of an impact in the game-to-game lines or the futures as it’s a short-term injury that the team can weather.
While his offensive numbers weren’t incredible last season, Boegarts is off to an excellent start this year hitting .368 with seven runs and nine RBI through his first 38 at-bats. The 25-year-old seemed poised to bounce back following last year’s struggles so baseball fans in Boston are hoping his progress isn’t hindered by the injury. With Boegarts on the 10-Day DL, the Red Sox will likely lean on Brock Holt as their starting shortstop over the next couple of weeks. Holt’s career batting average is .284 but he is off to a slow start this season as he is 0-for-7 from the plate after appearing in only four of Boston’s nine games. If Holt plays to his potential, he could help the Red Sox weather the storm over the next two weeks. However, a slow start to the season could have the team concerned about Holt filling a starting role. Infielder Tzu-Wei Lin has been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to help fill the void.
Boegarts’ hot start helped fuel a Boston offense that ranks 10th in the MLB with 42 runs scored. The Red Sox rank seventh in the majors with a .252 batting average. With Boegarts out, Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez could benefit from moving up in the lineup. Holt should slide in to the No. 8 spot in the order. Boston has plenty of offensive potential with J.D. Martinez, Hanley Ramirez, Andrew Benintendi and Mookie Betts all healthy and that group will need to step up even more with Boegarts out. While Holt’s fantasy stock could benefit from the additional exposure, the big names in the lineup could take a hit without Boegarts batting behind them in the lineup in his usual fifth spot in the order.
The good news is that Boegarts isn’t expected to miss more than 10 to 14 days. If Holt and company can stay up with Boegarts out, then the Red Sox could continue their hot start with an eye on the top spot in the American League East early on this season.
