The Boston Red Sox just got two key offensive weapons back from injury, with Roman Anthony and Trevor Story rejoining the team. Now, it looks like they’re going to get another one back.
Infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa is set to return to the Red Sox. This comes after he’s been out since June 18th with a stress reaction in his forearm. At the time, he attributed the injury to overuse. Since then, the Red Sox called up several players and went on a run to get back into playoff position.
Worcester T&G Sports reporter Tommy Cassell shared that Kiner-Falefa has now finished his rehab assignment. So, he’ll be rejoining the MLB team.
“WooSox manager Iggy Suarez confirmed that Isiah Kiner-Falefa is finished with his rehab assignment with Worcester and is not scheduled to travel with the AAA club on the road Tuesday (when he could be called up to rejoin the Boston Red Sox when rosters can expand by two players),” Cassell wrote.
In 47 games and 119 at-bats this season, Kiner-Falefa is hitting .277 with a .344 OBP, a .361 slugging percentage, and a .705 OPS. He has two home runs and 13 RBIs as well.
Cassell also noted that Kiner-Falefa was not available for comment. He had quickly left Polar Park following his final rehab game.
Boston Red Sox Infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa Doesn’t Want Anyone Sent Down
The Red Sox allowed Isiah Kiner-Falefa to have some extra time to rehab. There were a few reasons for that, including that he’s expected to fill more of a utility role for the team and is less important overall to the offense.
Importantly, Kiner-Falefa also wasn’t pushing hard to get back to the majors before September 1st. That’s when rosters expand. By waiting until rosters expand, he’ll be able to return to the MLB team without a corresponding move that forces a player to be sent down in his place.
“Isiah Kiner-Falefa says he plans to be in Worcester for at least a few more days and that he is comfortable being added back when rosters expand on September 1,” Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported on August 25th.
When the Red Sox activated Roman Anthony and Trevor Story, they were forced to send down Anthony Seigler and Mickey Gasper. Now, with the delay in bringing back Kiner-Falefa, a player like Nick Sogard won’t also have to be sent down.
The Red Sox Need Their Bats to Wake Up
The chance to get Isiah Kiner-Falefa back is a big deal for the Red Sox as the calendar is set to turn to September. Their bats have cooled down massively, and it’s time to find a spark in the lineup.
Boston has now lost four of its last five games. That includes losing a four-game series to the New York Yankees.
During that stretch, the Red Sox have scored 2 runs or fewer in each of their losses. That includes being shut out twice. It’s a complete power shortage, and it’s coming at a bad time if the Red Sox want to put themselves in a position to host in the Wild Card round.
Kiner-Falefa on his own likely won’t wake up the lineup. However, getting a veteran presence back, not to mention players like Anthony, never hurts.
Red Sox Injury Update: Latest on Isiah Kiner-Falefa Amid Rehab Assignment