Hurry back, Mookie Betts.
The Red Sox offense finally seems to be feeling the strain of playing without its MVP-caliber leadoff hitter. Sidelined since May 27, Betts has watched the Red Sox struggle to score runs in recent days, including Sunday's 5-2 loss to the White Sox.
Without Betts, the Red Sox have averaged 4.5 runs a game. That's down almost a full run from what they scored with him in the lineup en route to a league-leading 339 runs entering Sunday's game.
The primary culprits have been sluggers Mitch Moreland and Rafael Devers. The former began the day hitting just .225 over the previous two weeks, while Devers was at .214.
Andrew Benintendi and J.D. Martinez have been monstrous, combining for 10 home runs and a 1.120 OPS in that time frame. On Sunday, each contributed a double. That wasn't enough against White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez, who allowed six hits and a run before leaving with one out in the seventh.
On the flip side, Red Sox starter Rick Porcello allowed five hits and three runs (2 earned) in six innings of a tough-luck loss. The White Sox twice scored vs. him without the benefit of a hit, converting two walks, an error, and a hit by pitch into a run off Porcello in the third, and going walk-sacrifice-groundout for another tally in the sixth.
The Red Sox mustered little offense of their own, however. No player recorded multiple hits, and outside of the Martinez and Benintendi doubles, the Red Sox managed just five singles.
So when will Betts return? Manager Alex Cora said before the game that Betts still has work to do as he rehabs a sore muscle in his side. He at least hit before the game.
"It was good today, he was driving the ball," Cora said. "He still has stuff to do. . . . The way he swung today, he's moving well. There were some pitches that he got to that probably a week ago, no way he gets to it. He feels good about himself."
The Red Sox could use his bat after losing two of three to the lowly White Sox, so the sooner he feels like himself, the better.
