Red Sox place Tyler O'Neill on 7-Day Injured List

BOSTON -- The injury bug keeps biting the Boston Red Sox. But at least outfielder Tyler O'Neill should be back sooner than the rest of Boston's walking wounded.

The Red Sox placed O'Neill on the 7-Day Injured List on Thursday, retroactive to April 16. O'Neill had to leave Monday's loss to the Guardians after colliding with Rafael Devers while they both tried to field a popup in shallow left field. O'Neill crashed into Devers face-first and had to get eight stitches to close a gash on his forehead. He was placed into concussion protocol after leaving the game, and is now on the IL.

At least it's the shorter-term IL, so O'Neill shouldn't be sidelined for too long. And that's a good thing for Boston, as the righty has hit .313 to go with a team-high seven home runs in his 15 games for the Red Sox.

Boston manager Alex Cora also revealed ahead of Thursday's afternoon game against the Guardians that Rafael Devers will have an MRI on his left knee. The third baseman left Tuesday's game with discomfort in his knee, and went hitless as Boston's DH on Wednesday night. Devers is not in the Sox lineup Thursday afternoon, with Pablo Reyes at third in the finale against the Guardians.

While the Red Sox lost one outfielder to the IL, they also got one back on Thursday. Veteran Rob Refsnyder was activated from the 10-day IL to take O'Neill's spot on the roster, after he missed the first three weeks of the season with a left toe fracture.

Refsnyder is coming off a four-game rehab stint with the Worcester Red Sox where he went 4-for-12 with a homer and three runs scored. He made two starts in right field, one at first base, and one as the designated hitter while in Triple-A. 

Refsnyder played in 88 games for Boston last season, slashing .248/.365/.317 to go with 28 RBI and 31 runs scored. He played all three outfield positions -- with 54 games in left field, 15 in center, and six in right field -- and served as the team's designated hitter in nine other games. 

Injuries have not been kind to the Red Sox over the first three weeks of the season. The Red Sox had to put starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock on the 15-Day IL on Wednesday after the righty left his Tuesday start against Cleveland with an oblique injury. He joins fellow starter Nick Pivetta on the 15-Day IL, where Pivetta has been since April 9 with an elbow injury.

Boston also lost starting shortstop Trevor Story for the season after he underwent surgery to repair a fractured glenoid in his left shoulder last Friday.