The Boston Red Sox had a crucial win over the Chicago Cubs to keep them penciled in for the No. 5 seed in the American League.
However, they lost a key contributor whose absence is likely to carry over into the postseason.
According to Christopher Smith of MassLive, Red Sox catcher Mickey Gasper is likely to miss the AL Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees after suffering from right biceps discomfort in the win on Friday.
Gasper started at catcher on Friday and injured his biceps muscle on a swing. He was removed and replaced by Connor Wong.
Latest On Boston Red Sox Catcher Mickey Gasper
Manager Chad Tracy was concerned about the injury from the get-go, and now we know why. Gasper will miss a crucial series between Boston and New York, which will have serious AL postseason implications.
“I think he’s going over to get an MRI right now,” manager Chad Tracy said after the victory. “He’s in some pretty good discomfort. So I don’t know exactly what it is, but he struck out on that last swing and had some discomfort in his biceps.”
Gasper has been a revelation this season for a Red Sox team that has lacked many quality hitters. The 30-year-old phenom has slashed .251/.357/.466 during this season with 10 home runs.
Gasper has single-handedly delivered some memorable victories this season for Boston. While he wasn’t a household name, Gasper has the second-highest OPS on the team with a minimum of 200 at-bats.
Losing him for any amount of time is devastating. However, if he misses the entirety of the AL Wild Card series, that could be a death knell for Boston. With star first baseman Willson Contreras out for the foreseeable future, the Red Sox have now lost arguably their two best hitters this year.
Who Is Mickey Gasper and How Does the Team Replace Him?
The Yankees drafted Gasper in the 27th round of the 2018 MLB Draft out of Bryant University. So, this would’ve been a revenge series for Gasper, had he been healthy. The Red Sox would pick him up in the Rule 5 Draft in 2023.
He would go 0-for-18 in 2024 with Boston before the Red Sox traded him to the Minnesota Twins for Jovani Morán. Minnesota waived Gasper after a horrible 2025 with Minnesota, and Boston eventually picked him back up, where he has thrived.
So, what is the contingency plan with Gasper out?
Adley Rutschman will likely have more time as the backstop for Boston, with Wong as his backup, who hit the go-ahead double to win Friday’s game. However, Gasper was so much more than a backup catcher.
He was also playing first base and designated hitter. With Contreras potentially out long-term, it creates a giant hole at first base.
Candidates to fill that hole are Andruw Monasterio, who played the position on Friday, and Nick Sogard, who has played 25 of his 63 games at first this season.
The designated hitter is slightly complicated, but can be filled relatively easily if they alternate Rutschman and Wong. They could also use Roman Anthony or Jahmai Jones.
It’s a big loss, but Boston has to power through for them to make what was once a lost season into a great one.
Boston Red Sox Announce Potentially Devastating Mickey Gasper News