(AUDACY) They say the best ability is availability. While Patriots coach Bill Belichick would likely never admit to it, quarterback Cam Newton’s vaccination status — and the potential to miss games and practices because of it — was likely a contributing factor in him getting released him last week. Similarly, the Red Sox have had to put out their own COVID fire of late, playing shorthanded the past week without starting shortstop Xander Bogaerts, All-Star closer Matt Barnes and utilityman Kiké Hernandez.
Boston’s late-season outbreak couldn’t have come at a worse time with the Red Sox fighting tooth and nail for one of the American League’s two wild-card spots. To a certain extent, the Red Sox brought this on themselves — along with the Phillies, Mets, Mariners, Cubs, Diamondbacks and Royals, they're one of seven teams under MLB’s target vaccination threshold of 85%.
The Phillies lead MLB with 185 days lost to COVID-19 absences, followed by the Nationals (179), Yankees (144), Brewers (105) and Diamondbacks (90), according to ESPN reporter David Schoenfield, who recently wrote about the impact COVID could have on the pennant race. Nineteen Phillies have endured stints on the COVID-IL this year, which also leads MLB. The Red Sox are right behind them at 17. Playoff contenders that have been the least affected by COVID include the Reds (three combined COVID absences), Cardinals (four), White Sox (six) and A’s (seven).
On the surface, losing one player on a 28-man roster to the league’s mandated 10-day COVID recovery window might not seem like a big deal, but unfortunately, it’s never that simple. With Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta contracting the virus over the weekend, Kutter Crawford (5.52 ERA in 29 1/3 innings for Worcester) was summoned from Triple-A on extremely short notice Sunday, ultimately getting shelled for five runs over two disastrous innings in his MLB debut against Cleveland. Another recent call-up, Phillips Valdez, sunk any hopes of a Red Sox comeback by permitting five runs in the ninth inning of the same game.
While some teams are equipped with enough bench and minor league depth to stay afloat amid the recent COVID spike brought on by the Delta variant, others will have a harder time fielding competitive lineups. With 11 players currently on the COVID IL, the Red Sox find themselves at precisely that crossroads.
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