The Red Sox plan to place Alex Cora on the disabled list today because of an elbow injury he got during pregame practice last Thursday. He will be undergoing an MRI in the next couple of days and may be out for a long time.
With Mike Lowell also on the shelf, the Sox are thin on infielders and thus are likely to call up another infielder with Jed Lowrie becoming the primary backup. The candidates are Keith Ginter and Joe Thurston.
Ginter has six seasons of major league experience and a career line of .243/.329/.422 in 971 AB for Houston, Milwaukee and Oakland from 2000-05. He received over 350 at-bats in 2003 and 2004 for the Brewers and equipped himself well (.257/.352/.427, 14 HR and .262/.333/.479, 19 HR respectively). He has 134 games experience at second, 124 at third and six in the outfield. His calling card is his power and is only an adequate fielder, if that. He batted .261 in 23 AB in spring training but has gotten off to an anemic start in Pawtucket, hitting .125/.205/.150 in 40 AB, fifth most on the team.
Joe Thurston leads the PawSox in AB with 47 and has a line of .255/.294/.319 after batting .382 in 34 AB in spring training. The former hot-shot prospect has 58 total ABs in the majors for the Dodgers from 2002-4 and Philadelphia in 2006. The 28-year old’s career line in those ABs is .259/.286/.345 and has played second base and the outfield.
Who do you think gets the call? My money’s on Thurston — he has a better reputation for defense and impressed the Sox in spring training. Ginter’s proven ability at the major league level to hit for some pop is compromised by his terrible start in Pawtucket.
