Monday’s Red Sox-Tigers game began with a terrifying moment in the bottom of the first inning.
Batting third in the lineup, Justin Turner was hit in the face by a pitch from right-hander Matt Manning and fell down, blood pouring from his face.
Turner was able to walk off the field with a trainer, but kept a towel over his face as he headed straight down the tunnel to the clubhouse. Niko Kavadas, the organization’s 2022 Minor League Player of the Year, replaced Turner at first.
According to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, the veteran infielder was taken to a local hospital in an ambulance.
The Red Sox provided an update about an hour later:
“Justin Turner was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation after being hit in the face by a pitch. He’s receiving treatment for soft tissue injuries, and is being monitored for a concussion. He will undergo further testing, and we’ll update as we have more information. Justin is stable, alert, and in good spirits given the circumstances.”
Turner joined the Sox on a one-year, $15 million guaranteed contract with a player option for 2024.
— Boston Herald
Sale hits 96 on the gun
Red Sox’s Chris Sale hurled two scoreless innings against the Tigers in his first Grapefruit League start Monday. He struck out two, walked nobody and threw 31 pitches.
He reached 96 mph with his fastball on the JetBlue Park radar gun, according to NESN broadcasters Mike Monaco and Will Middlebrooks.
Sale has been limited to 11 regular season starts the past three seasons because of multiple injuries, starting with Tommy John surgery in 2020. He made just two starts last season because of a right rib stress fracture, a left fifth finger fracture and a broken right wrist.
“It was awesome,” Sale told NESN. “It took a long road. Everybody knows what happened not only to myself but everybody in this organization really lifting me up to get me to this spot. And I’m just really appreciative of it.”
Sale, a typically fast worker, had one pitch clock violation in the first inning. “It’s definitely quicker but I’m a huge fan of it. I love it,” Sale said. “It gets the game going. It keeps people in it a little bit better, not as much lag time. And hey, what do you know? I ran into a little problem there my first one but this is what we’re here for. And I think it’s going to take some adjustments but once we get a couple under our belt, we’ll be fine.”
