Red Sox's Wilyer Abreu Misses Game Vs. Athletics — Any Injury Concern?

Interim manager Chad Tracy's explanation within

Aug 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu (52) hits a two run RBI double during the second inning against the Athletics at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu has mostly had a healthy season, which is a step forward after his rookie and sophomore campaigns. But on Saturday, he had to take a seat.

After fouling a pitch off his shin in the Red Sox's win over the Athletics on Friday, Abreu wound up leaving the game in the sixth inning. He was supposed to be in the lineup for Saturday's 4:10 pm start time at Fenway Park, but was scratched an hour or two before first pitch.

Though it doesn't currently seem like a cause for major concern, the Red Sox and their fans can certainly knock on wood if they want to be safe. Interim manager Chad Tracy explained why Abreu was scratched before the game, while leaving the door open for a quick return to the lineup.

What Tracy said about Abreu's injury

Aug 5, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu (52) reacts after stealing second base Chicago White Sox during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“He’s sore,” Tracy said, per Christopher Smith of MassLive. “Obviously had him in there and then came in today and there’s some swelling in there. He hit it right above the shin guard. So like right in that calf and shin area. Pretty swollen. And being that we were actively looking over this next handful of days to get him a day off, just felt like we’re not running him out there like that. So get him off his feet today.”

With the Red Sox getting set to close out a series against the A's with a Sunday matinee -- 1:35 p.m. ET start, it will be a relatively quick turnaround for Abreu after his extra day to rest. Tracy emphasized that there was definitely a chance for the 27-year-old to only miss one game, which would be big for the Red Sox, as he's obviously been a catalyst of late.

“He’ll get a bunch of treatment today and rub it out and flush it out and hopefully he’s in there,” Tracy said. “But we’ll see how he feels.”

The next step is quite obviously waiting to see if Abreu can play on Sunday -- and if the Red Sox will still have an active win streak that has reached 10 for him to try and extend.