The Red Sox will be placing catcher on the 10-day injured list, manager Alex Cora confirmed after the team’s loss to Toronto. He sustained a broken left pinkie finger during a catcher’s interference in the first inning. Cora mentioned that the team has not yet decided on the corresponding move.
Wong has started seven of the team’s first 11 games behind the plate, recording just two hits (both singles) and three walks in 23 at-bats. Last season, he posted a career-high .280/.333/.425 with 13 home runs over 487 plate appearances. The Red Sox traded top catching prospect Kyle Teel as part of the Garrett Crochet deal, solidifying Wong as their starter while acquiring Carlos Narváez from the Yankees as the backup.
With Wong now sidelined, Narváez is expected to get the most playing time of his young career. The 26-year-old has appeared in 11 MLB games over the past two seasons and hit .254/.370/.412 with 11 home runs in 96 Triple-A games last year, though he struggled with strikeouts. The Red Sox valued Narváez’s skills in receiving and game-calling when they traded for him.
Blake Sabol, who was acquired in an offseason trade with the Giants, is the only other catcher on the 40-man roster. Recalling him to serve as Narváez’s backup is considered the most likely move. Sabol, a left-handed hitter, has a career .243/.313/.392 line with 13 home runs in 382 plate appearances. Though he might offer a higher offensive upside than Narváez, he is not as well-regarded defensively. In his time with the Giants, Sabol was more of a third catcher and corner outfielder, with a decent arm but subpar blocking and framing metrics according to Statcast.
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