Connor Wong Provides Update On Injury That Could Shakeup Roster Battle

Boston could open the season with one catcher on the mend

Scott Neville | Mar 3, 2023

Connor Wong Provides Update On Injury That Could Shakeup Roster Battle /

In this story:

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox sustained an injury to a projected member of the 26-man roster this week.

Yesterday it was revealed that catcher Connor Wong sustained a left hamstring injury. That ailment has since been ruled a Grade 1 strain -- the best-case scenario, which is considered a "mild muscle pull or strain."

Wong gave an encouraging update Friday.

"Connor Wong said (he) pulled (the) same left hamstring in 2021," WEEI's Rob Bradford tweeted Wednesday. "Noted that one was worse and (he) played through it."

While it sounds like Wong won't need a stint on the injury list -- barring any setbacks -- it does inflate the chances of Jorge Alfaro making the roster.

Alfaro provides value on the bench regardless of injury as he can be a third catcher, reserve first baseman and designated hitter. That said, he'd be close to a roster lock if Wong's injury is worse than initially thought.

The 29-year-old hit .246 with 21 extra-base hits including seven home runs, 40 RBIs and a .667 OPS in 82 games for the San Diego Padres last season.

Wong and Alfaro will battle for the right-handed platoon role alongside fellow backstop Reese McGuire.

As it stands now, Wong is sidelined and Alfaro is a week away from leaving for the World Baseball Classic. There's still time for someone to step up before Opening Day.

More MLB: Red Sox's Chaim Bloom Explains Why Boston Invested In Masataka Yoshida

Published Mar 3, 2023

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