Being called for a catcher's interference is bad enough; getting hurt during the same play is downright demoralizing. But that's what Connor Wong of the Boston Red Sox is dealing with, and he'll subsequently have a stint on the Injured List to reflect.
Per Sean McAdam of MassLive, Wong suffered a fractured left pinky finger in the opening frame of Boston's 6-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. The veteran backstop will require a stint on the IL, though "no timetable for recovery" has been established as of this writing.
Boston hasn't made a corresponding roster, at least not yet. But Blake Sabol getting called up from Triple-A Worcester is a seemingly plausible outcome. Regardless, Wong's absence is a massive blow, specifically for the Red Sox pitching staff. Conversely, the latter's ailment makes way for Carlos Narváez, who filled in for him against Toronto and has shown flashes when given a chance.
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Boston Red Sox projected lineup with Carlos Narváez replacing IL-bound Connor Wong
Batting Order | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
1 | Jarren Duran | LF |
2 | Rafael Devers | DH |
3 | Alex Bregman | 3B |
4 | Triston Casas | 1B |
5 | Trevor Story | SS |
6 | Wilyer Abreu | RF |
7 | Kristian Campbell | 2B |
8 | Carlos Narváez | C |
9 | Ceddanne Rafaela | CF |
Albeit a small sample size, Narváez has outperformed Wong early in the 2025 MLB campaign at the plate with similar production behind it. Of course, the Red Sox would presumably rather have everyone healthy and come to that realization organically. However, it doesn't always work out that way, so this may give manager Alex Cora an opportunity to arrive at that conclusion.
Narváez has a 0.3 offensive wins above replacement (oWAR) share and 0.0 dWAR, compared to Wong's -0.2 and 0.1, respectively. Moreover, the former has posted a .333/.455/.500 slash line with a .955 OPS across 22 plate appearances this season. Meanwhile, the latter has two hits and seven strikeouts over 23 at-bats, an alarming ratio.
With Wong sidelined, Narváez will be tasked with handling everyday catching duties. Despite the upside, that may be too much to expect from someone with 11 career games of experience in the majors. Nonetheless, the Red Sox don't have a choice right now.