Key Member of Boston Red Sox to Begin Minor League Rehab Assignment After Injury

Once Abreu is ready to return to the Red Sox' lineup, there will be big questions for Boston about its roster construction. With Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Abreu and Roman Anthony, the team figures to use one of them at designated hitter and three in the outfield, but then what happens when Masataka Yoshida is ready to return?

We just spoke to Red Sox Insider Tom Caron of NESN on the latest Refuse to Lose podcast:

Yeah, ​I ​still ​think ​there's ​another ​move. ​I ​do, ​because ​Roman ​Anthony's ​an ​outfielder ​and ​you ​still ​got ​three outfielders ​who ​are ​set ​in ​their ​spot. ​I ​think ​Abreu is the one. ​I ​don't ​think ​you ​trade ​Duran. ​I ​think, ​especially ​after ​the ​trade ​of ​Devers, ​Duran ​is ​an ​important ​part ​of ​the ​leadership ​group ​of ​the ​team. He's ​almost ​29 ​now. ​He's ​not ​young ​guy ​anymore ​and ​he's ​become an ​electrifying ​player, ​but ​he has ​become ​a ​really ​important ​leader ​for ​the ​young ​guys ​who ​come ​up ​behind ​him. ​So ​I ​think ​for ​a ​number ​of ​reasons, ​you ​don't ​trade ​him. ​Again, ​I ​wouldn't ​have ​thought ​you ​trade ​Devers, ​so ​take ​all ​this ​with ​a ​grain ​of ​salt, ​but ​Rafaela ​is ​as ​good ​a ​center ​fielder ​defensively ​as ​there ​is ​in ​the ​game ​right ​now. ​And ​he's ​hitting ​again, ​or ​he's ​hitting ​finally. ​Abreu, ​I ​think ​that'd ​be ​the ​guy, ​you'd ​be ​selling ​high: ​Gold ​Glove ​last ​year, ​he's ​hitting ​well ​this ​year, ​he's ​got ​a ​little ​oblique ​thing, they ​don't ​think ​it's ​a ​big ​deal. ​So ​I ​think ​Abreu ​is ​a ​guy ​who ​could ​easily ​get ​dealt.

Abreu, 25, is hitting .245 this season with a .321 on-base percentage. He's got 13 homers and 32 RBIs.

The Red Sox will play the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night at 9:40 p.m. ET. You can listen to the full Tom Caron interview in the podcast player below:

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