The Shane Victorino saga: The Flyin' Hawaiian lands in Lowell to begin rehab assignment
Jennifer Warner
Contributing Writer
If seeing him in the Red Sox dugout this past week lifted your hopes of a Shane Victorino return to the lineup soon, you will be greatly disappointed. The 33-year-old Outfielder has been sent to Single-A Lowell to begin yet another rehab assignment.
The Flyin' Hawaiian has been missing from Sox games since late May, when hamstring trouble sent him to Triple-A Pawtucket for a rehab stint. While there, Victorino managed to slip a disk in his lower back, and his return to Fenway has been now been pushed back until after the All-Star break.
Victorino did play in his first rehab game for Lowell yesterday, going 0-2 with two strikeouts. He managed to play five innings in right field, and the plan is for him to play the next four days, up to the All-Star break, with the workload being upped each day. Ultimately, the goal is to have Vic up to a full nine innings of play, something he has been unable to do since the hammy took him out of action in May.
Vic was batting .242 with a homerun and 10 RBIs in the 21 games he did play in a Sox uniform this season, and was on pace to match or best those stats. There was also some speculation that he would be back in the Red Sox lineup during the 10-game road trip at the end of June, but the back problems squashed those hopes.
Needless to say, Victorino's bat, glove and energy have been missed in the Red Sox lineup this season. Manager John Farrell commented, "He's brought energy, no matter what team he's been on, even in the role unfortunately where he's inactive. He's still talking to teammates on the bench, he's still talking the game. He's still an energetic personality despite being on the DL because he cares. I know for a fact, he's more frustrated than anyone."
Even though he has not been in the lineup, it was still a refreshing sight to see Shane Victorino practicing on the field and cheering in the dugout at Fenway this past week. Hopefully, Red Sox Nation will continue to pray to the Big Kahuna and the ghost of Teddy Ballgame that Vic is back in a Sox uniform soon, healthy, and ready to pick up where he left off.
Follow Jennifer Warner on Twitter @Soxfan012
Contributing Writer
Photo Courtesy of Fancloud |
If seeing him in the Red Sox dugout this past week lifted your hopes of a Shane Victorino return to the lineup soon, you will be greatly disappointed. The 33-year-old Outfielder has been sent to Single-A Lowell to begin yet another rehab assignment.
The Flyin' Hawaiian has been missing from Sox games since late May, when hamstring trouble sent him to Triple-A Pawtucket for a rehab stint. While there, Victorino managed to slip a disk in his lower back, and his return to Fenway has been now been pushed back until after the All-Star break.
Victorino did play in his first rehab game for Lowell yesterday, going 0-2 with two strikeouts. He managed to play five innings in right field, and the plan is for him to play the next four days, up to the All-Star break, with the workload being upped each day. Ultimately, the goal is to have Vic up to a full nine innings of play, something he has been unable to do since the hammy took him out of action in May.
Vic was batting .242 with a homerun and 10 RBIs in the 21 games he did play in a Sox uniform this season, and was on pace to match or best those stats. There was also some speculation that he would be back in the Red Sox lineup during the 10-game road trip at the end of June, but the back problems squashed those hopes.
Needless to say, Victorino's bat, glove and energy have been missed in the Red Sox lineup this season. Manager John Farrell commented, "He's brought energy, no matter what team he's been on, even in the role unfortunately where he's inactive. He's still talking to teammates on the bench, he's still talking the game. He's still an energetic personality despite being on the DL because he cares. I know for a fact, he's more frustrated than anyone."
Even though he has not been in the lineup, it was still a refreshing sight to see Shane Victorino practicing on the field and cheering in the dugout at Fenway this past week. Hopefully, Red Sox Nation will continue to pray to the Big Kahuna and the ghost of Teddy Ballgame that Vic is back in a Sox uniform soon, healthy, and ready to pick up where he left off.
Follow Jennifer Warner on Twitter @Soxfan012