Mickey Gasper left the first game of Friday’s doubleheader clutching his right arm after a fifth‑inning strikeout, prompting Chad Tracy to label the setback a significant biceps injury. Connor Wong slipped behind the plate before the sixth inning.
After the nightcap, Tracy told MassLive’s Christopher Smith the Red Sox will keep consulting specialists to gauge the damage. He warned that the injury is serious enough to likely sideline Gasper for the Wild Card Series and possibly the entire postseason.
Claimed off waivers from Washington last winter, Gasper has surprised Boston with a .251/.357/.466 line and ten homers in 225 plate appearances. His hot stretch – 59 PA from Aug. 17 to Sep. 4 after a second call‑up from Triple‑A Worcester – produced a .378/.525/1.000 slash and eight long balls, dwarfing the .186/.276/.250 he posted in his first 252 PA.
The switch‑hitter’s power against right‑handed arms and his versatility at first base made him a strong postseason candidate. While Adley Rutschman will handle most catching duties and Wong serves as backup, Gasper could have seen DH or first‑base snaps. For my money, his presence would have added a potent bat to the lineup.
Willson Contreras has been out since Sep. 17 after a Jakob Junis pitch struck his right hand. Ceddanne Rafaela remains day‑to‑day with a tight hamstring, missing Friday’s games but appearing Thursday. The bench also feels the loss of Masataka Yoshida, Curtis Mead, Anthony Seigler and Eli White, all doubtful for the playoffs.
If Contreras and Rafaela suit up against the Yankees, Boston’s depth improves as they can rest players before Game 1 on Tuesday. A nor’easter forced the Cubs series at Fenway into a Friday doubleheader, an off‑day, and a makeup game Sunday at Tropicana Field. The Sox will then travel from St. Petersburg to the Bronx for the Wild Card opener. Will the reshuffled roster give Boston the edge it needs?