Schwarber To Begin Rehab Assignment Thursday Night, Red Sox Debut May Not Be Far Behind
BOSTON (CBS) -- Kyle Schwarber was the big pickup by the Red Sox at the trade deadline, but he still hasn't made his Boston debut due to a hamstring injury. That may change in the very near future.
Schwarber will begin his rehab assignment for the Worcester Red Sox on Thursday, and Boston manager Alex Cora said a return to the majors may not be too far behind.
"We'll see after the game tonight how he feels and we'll talk about it. It looks like it's going to be sooner rather than later," Cora said of Schwarber's return.
Schwarber will DH and bat second for the WooSox on Thursday, though the plan is still to have him play first base for the Red Sox. Cora said that Schwarber doesn't need to play the field in Worcester before making his way to Boston, and also made it sound like he could DH a bit upon his return to the big leagues as a way to fast-track getting his bat into the Red Sox lineup.
"He's a guy who controls the strike zone and gives us a different type of hitter than the ones we have," said Cora. "He walks, gets into deep counts. He's someone we're looking forward to have and I do believe our offense will be a lot better when he gets into it."
Schwarber has not played since July 2 with the hamstring issue, and a groin strain that he suffered last week further delayed his return. But he hit .253 with 25 homers and 53 RBIs over 72 games for the Nationals to earn his first career All-Star nod, and he should provide a big boost to the Boston lineup when he finally makes his Boston debut.