The inside story of how Elly De La Cruz was discovered
Just before the start of Wednesday night's game between the Red Sox and Twins at Target Field - an affair that would ultimately result in a 10-4 Sox win - word came down that shortstop Pablo Reyes was out due to abdominal soreness.
While such news regarding Reyes might have believed to be a small thing, this was a player who had solidified an unsettled position for the Red Sox, hitting .308 with a .702 OPS and a plus-two defensive runs saved.
Insert Christian Arroyo.
The team's original starting second baseman became that guy once again, with Kiké Hernandez moving back over to shortstop. Arroyo immediately showed the skillset that had put him in that Opening Day position, going 5-for-5 with a home run, double and four RBI.
“I’m kind of speechless,” Arroyo told reporters. “I’ve never done that before. I think I had one [five-hit game] in the Minor Leagues, but never obviously done it in the big leagues. This is the biggest stage, right? Every hitter dreams of that. It was awesome. It was great.”
The Red Sox have put themselves back in position to think about playing in the postseason, having now won six straight while sitting 1 1/2 games out of the last Wild Card spot. (It is a playoff positioning, by the way, that would currently pit them against these Twins in the first round.)
All well and good. But the dark clouds that loom are being closer by injuries to players such as Reyes. Fortunately, the Red Sox are able to continue their sunshine-filled days thanks to players like Arroyo. Depth. Evidently, it is important, with Trevor Story's potential presence at the position next month offering the next reminder.
And then there is Kutter Crawford.
The pitcher is currently representing perhaps the most important roster security blanket for the Red Sox considering the loss of both Chris Sale and Tanner Houck. Without Crawford, this rotation would be left with a rookie (Brayan Bello), a newbie starter (Garrett Whitlock) and a veteran who hadn't seen this many starts since 2019 (James Paxton).
It could have been a really bad spot for the Red Sox to be in with limited Triple-A starting pitching depth and a trade market that wasn't currently built for teams desperate for starting pitching help.
But if Crawford can be this Crawford - the one who didn't allow a run or walk over his five innings against the Twins - that would be one less thing for this team to worry about.
Tuesday night offered more examples of how this has become a multi-man show, with the decision to sit Jarren Duran after his three-double game a wise one. Home runs from outfielders Adam Duvall and Masa Yoshida will do that.
Make no mistake about it, there comes a tipping point for any team when it comes to injuries. Just look at last year's Red Sox for that reality, having followed a 20-6 June with an 8-19 July.
But for now, this win - and win streak - tell the story.