This certainly isn’t how Boston Red Sox outfielder envisioned the start of his spring training. After a strong season in which he earned a Gold Glove and finished sixth in AL Rookie of the Year voting, He was sidelined immediately upon arriving at camp due to a viral gastrointestinal illness.
The Red Sox have kept the 25-year-old out of baseball activities, and that remains the case as manager Alex Cora provided an update before Boston’s exhibition game against the Braves. “He can work out. He cannot do baseball activities yet,” Cora said, via MassLive’s Christopher Smith.
For now, the Red Sox are taking a wait-and-see approach as he recovers. According to Cora, Abreu lost weight due to the illness and underwent additional lab work on Monday. “They’re receiving the results today, so we’re still waiting,” Cora said.
Abreu was projected to be an Opening Day starter in the Red Sox outfield alongside Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran. While it’s uncertain if his health will affect that plan, he still has a month to recover before the regular season begins.
Acquired by the Red Sox at the 2022 trade deadline in the Christian Vázquez deal, Abreu hit .253 with 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, and eight stolen bases in his first full MLB season last year. He also led all AL outfielders with nine assists.
Abreu is currently the only Red Sox position player completely sidelined, while Masataka Yoshida continues recovering from shoulder surgery and Rafael Devers is making good progress after dealing with shoulder issues last season.