Xander Bogaerts day-to-day with back discomfort after collision with Alex Verdugo, Red Sox’s Alex Cora says

Boston Red Sox's Alex Verdugo, top, checks on Xander Bogaerts after they collided trying to field the double by Seattle Mariners' J.P. Crawford during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Friday, May 20, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
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BOSTON -- Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts is day-to-day with lower back discomfort after colliding with Alex Verdugo in the eighth inning of Friday’s game, manager Alex Cora said. Bogaerts was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the eighth.

“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow and go from there,” Cora said, adding that the pain is on Bogaerts’ left side.

In the eighth, Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford lifted a pop-up into shallow left field that both Bogaerts and Verdugo pursued. As Bogaerts reached to make the catch, he tripped over a sliding Verdugo and landed awkwardly on his left side. The ball popped loose and the play was ruled an error on Verdugo as Bogaerts remained on the ground in pain. He sprung to his feet as manager Alex Cora and trainers went out to visit him and remained in the game for the end of the half-inning, but was then lifted for pinch-hitter Franchy Cordero in the bottom of the frame. The Red Sox went on to win, 7-3.

The Red Sox then almost had a similar collision between Trevor Story and Franchy Cordero in right field later in the game. Cora said any types of those situations make him nervous.

“It’s two guys trying to make a baseball play,” Cora said. “We almost had it in right field, too. It’s part of the game.”

Verdugo, as the outfielder coming in on the ball, has priority over Bogaerts, who was going back. Asked if Verdugo should have called Bogaerts off, Cora said the noise at Fenway Park made things difficult.

“There’s 35,000 people here so it’s not that easy,” Cora said. “Here, lately with the wind, it feels like it’s playing different the last few years. Sam’s going to hate me, but with the buildings and everything that’s going on, it’s a little different out there.”

Bogaerts, who was 0-for-2 with a walk and a run in the win, has started 37 of Boston’s first 39 games at shortstop. He last had a day off on April 28 in Toronto but pinch-hit in that game.

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