Hot Red Sox rookie injures left hamstring
Boston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks accomplished something in the second inning Tuesday that had been done only once in 112 years and not since 1938. Then, he left the game with an injury.
Playing in only his fifth game since the Red Sox called him up from Class AAA Pawtucket, Middlebrooks doubled down the right field line against Kansas City Royals left-hander Danny Duffy.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Middlebrooks joins Enos Slaughter as the only players since 1900 to notch at least one extra-base hit in each of his first five major league games. But as he ran to second base, Middlebrooks felt cramping in his left hamstring, a problem that caused him to miss last Saturday's game at Fenway Park.
He stayed in the game long enough to score from third base on Kelly Shoppach's single, then was replaced at third base by Nick Punto before the bottom of the second.
"It's nothing serious. It's not a big deal," Middlebrooks said after the Red Sox lost 6-4 at Kauffman Stadium. "It's just kind of a precautionary thing. Of course I wanted to keep playing, but we're trying to take the safe route here. We didn't want to mess with it. Just being safe."
