Vaughn Grissom hasn’t played in a spring training game for the Boston Red Sox. But, he was expected to do so this weekend. The Red Sox will likely be without the second baseman they acquired this offseason to open 2024. Grissom suffered a groin strain that will leave him unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, manager Alex Cora said Saturday. The Red Sox were slow playing him to get ready for the season as he was dealing with a hamstring issue.
“He’ll be out. We’re gonna shut him down,” Cora told reporters. ” It happened two days ago taking ground balls. He had an MRI yesterday. We feel comfortable where we’re at. But obviously uncomfortable with where we’re at. It’s gonna take more than a few days. Obviously, no timetable. But with this now, Opening Day might not happen for him.”
Cora said that Enmanuel Valdéz is the likeliest candidate to fill second base in Grissom’s absence. Pablo Reyes, Rob Refsnyder, Romy Gonzalez or Bobby Dalbec could play there too.
Grissom worked on the field in the first few weeks of spring training. He hasn’t seen any Grapefruit League action due to a prior hamstring problem. Between both injuries, it’s been a less-than-ideal first spring camp for Grissom and his new team. He will likely start the season on the 10-day injured list, as he will need time to get healthy and get some work in. The Red Sox’s acquisition of Grissom was the team’s most headline-attention move. Boston traded Chris Sale and $17 million to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Grissom.
Grissom Profile
Boston landing Grissom means he will be the long-term answer at second base. The position had been both a rotation of players and a weakness for the Red Sox. However, the Red Sox believe that second base will be covered for the rest of the decade as Grissom is on team control through the 2029 season. Grissom has seen a quick rise to the majors since Atlanta selected him as an 11th-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft.
The Braves are notorious for promoting certain prospects who they feel can provide immediate help at the big league level. Grissom’s strong numbers in the minors earned him a 41-game promotion with Atlanta in 2022. He hit .291/.353/.440 over 156 plate appearances.
No Room for Grissom in the Lineup
The impressive start to Grissom’s big league career saw him earn a larger role. He was in line to be the everyday shortstop in 2023, but that role went to Orlando Arcia, leaving Grissom to spend most of last season at Triple-A Gwinnett. Grissom continued to play well in the minors, he had only 80 plate appearances while hitting .280/.313/.347 in the majors. The Braves prioritized regular playing time in the minors due to the durability of Arcia and mostly every member of Atlant’s lineup.
