The Red Sox’s deadline move for Adley Rutschman grabbed the headlines, but Boston also quietly brought in a different kind of weapon: Eli White.
White arrived from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for right-handed pitcher Tyler Uberstine, and the fit made sense. He’s 32, he runs, he gets on base, he defends, and he looked like the kind of bench piece a contender can stash for October.
That plan has hit a snag. According to WEEI’s Rob Bradford, White is “likely” finished for the season after tearing a ligament in his foot.
Bradford wrote, “No news on Contreras. No new scans.
See how grip strength improves. Also, Eli White has a tear in the ligament in his foot and is likely out for the season.
Crochet will throw another side session tomorrow with up-downs,”
The injury doesn’t just hurt Boston’s depth. It also opens the door wider for Braiden Ward, a name that’s been circling the conversation for a while now.
Ward was one of Boston’s Spring Training standouts and swiped 19 bases before being sent to Triple-A Worcester when the season began. He’s spent the whole year there, appearing in 108 games and hitting .251/.364/.372 with a .736 OPS, six home runs, 33 RBIs and 61 stolen bases.
White’s Boston stint was brief but productive. In 27 games after the trade, he hit .276/.300/.379 with a .679 OPS, one home run, 12 RBIs, three doubles and 10 runs scored. Across 96 total games between Boston and Atlanta, he posted a 1.4-WAR season, the best of his career.
The case for Ward has already been made once before, and the club has at least acknowledged the possibility. On Sep. 13, the idea of giving him a look was raised, and two days later, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy was asked about Ward and suggested the team would consider it.
Now, with White likely out, the path looks even clearer. Ward brings the kind of speed that can change a game in one burst, and if Boston wants a pure pinch-running threat for the playoffs, he fits the role White would have filled.
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Red Sox Waste A Winnable Bello Start In Brutal Loss
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Garrett Whitlock then absorbed the loss when he allowed the winning run in the ninth, sending the Rays to a 2-1 walk-off win and evening the series at one game apiece. For a club that had a quality outing from its starter and enough traffic on the bases to change the night, the frustration was as much about what slipped away as the final score itself. [Read more 🡒]