Red Sox Slugger Adam Duvall Reportedly Could Return Earlier Than Many Expected

Boston could be getting good news soon on their new addition

Boston Red Sox center fielder Adam Duvall had been the hottest hitter in Major League Baseball through the first nine games of the 2023 season. 

That run would end when he hurt his left wrist trying to catch a lazy fly ball in the ninth inning of the series finale against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

The Red Sox sweep of the Tigers immediately seemed insignificant, as the holder of the highest OPS in baseball was set to miss significant time.

Almost a full day later, the first official update on Duvall came out.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters that Duvall has a distal radius fracture in his left wrist and there would be no timetable yet for his return to action.

While that initial news was not what fans wanted to hear, MLB.com's Ian Browne provided a reason for optimism a few hours later.

According to Browne, if Duvall has a non-displaced fracture that doesn’t require surgery, he could return in just six to eight weeks.

Considering how scary the play that caused the Duvall injury initially looked, this is definitely promising news to hear.

That six to eight-week timetable would have the 34-year-old slugger returning to action in late May to early June. 

After the game, Cora revealed that Duvall will not need surgery, so the shorter timetable is in play.

Replacing his offensive production in the lineup through the first week and a half of the season will be nearly impossible. But between Rob Refsnyder, Raimel Tapia and Kiké Hernández they should be just fine defensively.

The Red Sox reached the 50-run mark in just eight games played this season. The only other Sox team to reach that feat quicker was in 2003, which was one of the best offenses in club history. While Duvall was a major reason for the bats buzzing early, the rest of this lineup will hope to bridge the gap until he returns.

There's still no denying how annoying of an injury this is to a team that's trying to return to playoff contention following a very disappointing 2022 campaign. The way this roster is constructed, the Sox can't afford to lose many more, or any more big pieces moving forward.

At least, for now, it looks like Red Sox fans could see their new slugger back to crushing homers over the Green Monster before the summer officially begins.

More MLB: Reunion With Former All-Star May Make Sense For Red Sox After Rough Injury News