Boston Red Sox Infielder Out For Opening Day, On Pace For April Return

New Boston Red Sox second baseman Vaughn Grissom is officially out for Opening Day, manager Alex Cora told reporters Sunday.

Grissom, who suffered a groin strain earlier in Spring Training, participated in baseball activities on Saturday and will do so again on Monday. While Grissom's injury is not seen as a long-term concern, Cora said he expects the infielder to return to the lineup by mid-to-late April.

With that timeline, it remains to be seen if the Red Sox will place Grissom on the 10-day injured list when the regular season begins.

Cora first spoke about Grissom's groin issues on March 2, and he immediately brought his Opening Day availability into question. An update was issued on March 11, at which point it was seen as unlikely that Grissom would be ready in time for the start of the regular season.

Ever since the Red Sox acquired Grissom from the Atlanta Braves in December's blockbuster Chris Sale trade, he had been penciled in as the team's everyday second baseman for 2024. Grissom has six years left of team control remaining as well, so the 26-year-old is largely considered to be a part of Boston's young core moving forward.

Grissom is a .287 hitter with a .746 OPS in 64 career MLB appearances. He had five home runs, 27 RBI, five stolen bases and a 0.2 WAR as a member of the Braves.

Fangraphs' ZiPS projections have Grissom on pace to hit .284 with 10 home runs, 67 RBI, 11 stolen bases, a .771 OPS and a 2.6 WAR in 128 games this season.

Without Grissom, the Red Sox will likely open the year with Enmanuel Valdez and Pablo Reyes splitting time at second. The pair combined for a 0.4 WAR in 113 games in 2023, in addition to -11 defensive runs saved as second basemen.