Projo Sox Blog

BOSTON _ Red Sox shortstop Alex Gonzalez had X-rays taken Saturday morning at Massachusetts General Hospital and the results came back negative.

He was drilled on the back of his right hand by a pitch from Indians pitcher Kerry Wood in the bottom of the eighth inning on Friday. He had a scan at Fenway Park after the incident and told a group of reporters there was a "line you can see."

It was feared he could have possibly suffered a hairline fracture. Fortunately for the Red Sox he should be fine.

He said after the game he could move and squeeze his right hand without any pain.

"It hurt a little bit. Hopefully it's nothing big. I can squeeze and we'll find out tomorrow," said Gonzalez, who was sporting a large ice pack on his hand after Boston's 6-2 victory over the Indians. "Hopefully I can keep playing and help the team. I feel good right and we'll see tomorrow."

Francona's explanation was a bit different.

"Gonzie got a flor-scan, flor-scope, whatever they call that thing in there," he said. "It was actually a little bit inconclusive. That doesn't mean that -- I think they just feel a little more comfortable if they get some x-rays tomorrow morning. Paulie said it could be as little as a blood vessel. But it doesn't seem like a real good time to not -- we weren't going to play him tomorrow night anyway, so we'll get him checked a little bit further."

With the postseason only a few days away, it would have been a very bad situation if Gonzalez was lost due to the injury. The Red Sox acquired him on Aug. 14 from the Reds for his defensive prowess, which he showcases on a nightly basis. He has solidified Boston's infield and the double-play combination of Gonzalez and second baseman Dustin Pedroia is one of the best in the league.

--JOE McDONALD

 Tags  Alex Gonzalez

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