Red Sox Breakout Star Headed To Injured List, Putting Career Year On Pause

The slugger should not be out for long but will be missed in the short-term

The Boston Red Sox have placed 11 people on the big-league injured list despite being just 20 games into the season.

Unfortunately, it does not feel as though the injury train is slowing down anytime soon. The Red Sox had a notable collision involving their biggest star and their most productive slugger in the early goings. The former being third baseman Rafael Devers and the latter newly-acquired outfielder Tyler O'Neill.

Devers escaped the crash relatively unscathed -- though he is battling unrelated shoulder and knee ailments -- but O'Neill was far less fortunate.

"The Red Sox today placed outfielder Tyler O’Neill on the 7-Day Injured List, retroactive to April 16," the team announced. "To fill O’Neill’s spot on the active roster, the club reinstated outfielder Rob Refsnyder from the 10-Day Injured List."

O'Neill has been in the concussion protocol and needed eight stitches above his eye following the incident. Thus far, the 28-year-old has passed the protocol but will need a few days before returning to action.

The hulking slugger is hitting .313 with seven home runs, eight RBIs and a league-leading 1.209 OPS in 15 games to open the season.

The Red Sox have fallen off a cliff since their 7-3 start and now are squarely in last place of the American League East, largely due to their inability to stay healthy.

More MLB: Red Sox Rising Star Placed On Injured List As Ailments Continue To Mount