Red Sox vs. Yankees: Will Mookie Betts miss AL East showdown?

by Felix Pantaleón

Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts leads the majors with 13 home runs and a .355 batting average. He left Sunday’s win against the Texas Rangers after being hit in the shoulder while running the bases. Boston hopes to have Betts in the lineup on Tuesday, May 8, 2018 (5/8/18) when the Red Sox open a three-game series against the Yankees.

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No one is seeing the ball better right now than Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts.

He leads the majors with 13 home runs and a .355 batting average.

But his bat could be on the bench on Tuesday, when the first-place Red Sox visit the second-place Yankees for a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.

Betts left Boston’s 6-1 win against the Texas Rangers on Sunday after being hit with a throw in the shoulder while running the bases.

From the Boston Herald:

Betts had singled to lead off the game before Andrew Benintendi hit a grounder to first. Rangers first baseman Ronald Guzman picked it up and tagged first before firing the ball to second to try to gun down a running Betts. But the ball hit Betts in his right shoulder blade.

Betts slid awkwardly after being hit by the ball and shook off his arm as he experienced some brief numbness.

“It hit him in the perfect spot,” (Red Sox manager Alex) Cora said. “So he wanted to keep going and I said, ‘Nah.’ “

According to Cora, the team did not expect to send Betts for an X-ray.

“He got the feeling back,” Cora said. “He got some treatment and he was fine after that.”

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When Betts left the game, Boston moved Benintendi from left field to center field, Jackie Bradley, Jr. from center field to right field, and brought in Blake Swihart off the bench to play left field.

The Red Sox are off Monday, and Cora is hopeful Betts will be able to play Tuesday.

Boston no doubts want Betts in the lineup when they face a Yankees team which has won 15 of its last 16 games, to move within one game of first place in the AL East.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.