It was easy to think the worst when Will Middlebrooks left Wednesday’s Grapefruit League game after he experienced pain in his right wrist on a check swing, but fortunately for the Red Sox, it turned out to be a false alarm.
Middlebrooks was examined by a hand specialist, who determined that the flash of pain was likely scar tissue breaking up in the wrist which he broke when he was hit by a pitch last August. The 24-year-old took batting practice Thursday without incident and participated in normal pre-game activities yesterday, which Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe notes was enough for him to be cleared to return to the lineup at third base this afternoon against the Twins. Crisis averted, it seems.
Middlebrooks packed a punch prior to the injury last year, hitting .288/.325/.509 with 15 home runs, 54 RBI and an .835 OPS over his first 75 major league games. The Red Sox are banking on him to be a major part of their lineup moving forward.
