Inside The Red Sox

Alex Verdugo Reportedly Had Fractured Toe In 2022, Expected To Breakout In 2023

The Red Sox outfielder is set up for success next season

Scott Neville

Alex Verdugo Reportedly Had Fractured Toe In 2022, Expected To Breakout In 2023
Alex Verdugo Reportedly Had Fractured Toe In 2022, Expected To Breakout In 2023 /
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The Boston Red Sox's 2022 season can be summed up by injuries and disappointment. 

Apparently, one of the more impactful injuries to a core member of the roster flew under the radar according to a very close source.

"(Verdugo) played with a fractured toe for the first two months of the season," Chris Verdugo -- Alex's brother -- tweeted Tuesday.

The intel would line up perfectly with the course of Verdugo's season, which started off cold before he turned it up a notch in June.

Verdugo hit .227 with 10 doubles, three home runs, 24 RBIs a .337 slugging percentage and .598 OPS in the first 46 games of the season spanning from Opening Day through May 31.

From June 1 through the last game of the season on October 5, Verdugo hit .302 with 38 extra-base hits including eight home runs, a .434 slugging percentage and a .789 OPS in 106 games.

It should be noted that Verdugo has not been placed on the injured list once in his three years in Boston. He appears more than willing to battle through injuries.

Chris Verdugo revealed the information while defending his brother on Twitter and didn't stop there. He also explained how his brother has since shifted his workout regime to prepare for the 2023 season.

"He’s working out at a speed and agility center in Rancho, he looks lean, working on being quicker and (putting) more focus on athletic movements in his lifting routines," Chris Verdugo wrote.

"Boston trainers gave him a workout plan to follow and he’s doing it and then some. Last year we focused on strength and adding size, but the ball changes hurt him, Alex was in (the) top 10 unluckiest hitters in MLB last year. 2023 will be a laser show."

While the source is quite obviously biased, Verdugo kicking his offseason plans into high gear would be a big step in the right direction for the former top prospect.

Many around the team believe he has another gear to reach but has not put in the effort to reach star status to this point. Red Sox manager Alex Cora called him out at the end of the season, followed by the team sending him the aforementioned specialized workout plan -- which is not atypical.

It sounds like Verdugo is doing everything he can to have a breakout season, and has been heading in the right direction since his toe healed last June. 

More MLB: Red Sox Reportedly Sign All-Star Slugger To Bolster Outfield

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Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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