FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Two months ago, when the Boston Red Sox signed Brennan Boesch to a minor-league contract, they imagined stashing him in Triple-A as an insurance policy for a still-unproven outfield.
But Boesch will be sidelined indefinitely, the team announced, after breaking his right wrist Friday while trying to make a sliding catch in a split-squad game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte, Florida.
Boesch, a veteran of 481 major-league games, was having a good spring, batting .303 with five doubles, one home run and an .848 OPS in 14 games.
The Red Sox are planning to go into the season with Jackie Bradley Jr. and Rusney Castillo in center and left field, respectively, with veteran right-handed hitter Chris Young as the fourth outfielder. But the 30-year-old Boesch represented a lefty-hitting alternative to Bradley and Castillo, neither of whom have a track record as accomplished major-league hitters.
Boesch's injury could create more of an opportunity for fellow veteran David Murphy, who can opt out of his minor-league contract on March 27 if he isn't added to the roster.
