Red Sox place Jackie Bradley Jr. on 10-day DL

Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is expected to miss some time due to a sprained knee.

The Red Sox haven’t had an ideal start to their 2017 season. After being attacked by an epic flu virus going around the clubhouse, the Red Sox received more bad news regarding their center fielder.

Following the 2-1 loss to the Tigers Monday afternoon, Manager John Farrell announced that Jackie Bradley Jr. was going to be placed on the 10-day disabled list.

Bradley suffered the injury on Saturday rounding the bases on a routine out. Bradley tripped and fell rounding first base but was able to walk off under his own power after falling down. After undergoing an MRI on Sunday, it was revealed that he suffered a sprained ligament in his knee. The good news for Boston is it appears that he didn’t suffer any kind of major tear in his knee.

The timetable for JBJ’s return remains unknown at this point but it appears like he won’t miss a significant amount of time. Prior to the game Sunday afternoon, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski claimed that the injury did not have any “major consequence,” and wouldn’t be a long-term issue.

Bradley, 26, has had a strong start to his 2017 prior to the injury. JBJ has made a ton of great defensive plays as well and has always been regarded as one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. He recorded a 1.6 defensive WAR in 2016. Bradley has started off his 2017 season with a .286 average thus far.

Next: Boston Red Sox 2017 MLB preview

Boston came into this season as favorites to reach the World Series in the American League. Unfortunately, the Red Sox have been plagued by the flu that has kept Mookie Betts, Hanley Ramirez and others out for extended periods of time. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts has been missing from the lineup on the Bereavement List and spent the last few days in Aruba back home. Red Sox ace left-hander David Price also hasn’t made a start yet after dealing with an elbow issue. Boston is currently 3-3 on the young season but there is no denying the bad luck to start the season is an alarming concern.