Spring training was hard on one struggling infielder, and just when it seemed like he had caught a break, it hit him again. Red Sox Brendan Rodgers moved to Boston to try to get his career back on track, but an injury in a meaningless spring game could end his comeback before it even starts. This setback could decide whether he gets a second chance or fades into obscurity because he doesn’t have many chances to show what he can do on an already crowded roster.

Brendan Rodgers had to leave Wednesday’s Grapefruit League game against Minnesota because he hurt his right shoulder while trying to field a ball at second base. Tim Healey of The Boston Globe says that Red Sox manager Alex Cora gave a bad update after Rodgers’ CT scan and MRI: “They’re still waiting for Brendan Rodgers’ test results, but it doesn’t look good, and he’ll miss some time.” Mac Cerullo of The Boston Herald wrote that the injury didn’t happen during the dive but rather when Rodgers went to get the ball afterward.

This news is especially worrying because of Rodgers’ history of injuries. The 29-year-old has only played 50 or more games in three of his seven major league seasons. He has had shoulder injuries that have bothered both shoulders throughout his career. Even though he won a Gold Glove Award with Colorado in 2022, he never had a good offensive year in his career. A batting average of .261 and an OPS+ of 88 over 495 games. Boston signed him to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. They were hoping to get a cheap defensive player for their infield competition.

Cora said on Thursday, “We don’t know what’s going on, so we’ll have more in the upcoming days.” The fact that his condition was uncertain made people even more worried, especially since Rodgers was already competing against established players. His chance came in part because other injuries were hurting the Red Sox’s infield, like Romy González’s shoulder injury, which could keep him out until Opening Day.

Rodgers couldn’t have picked a worse time to bat. Last season, Houston had .191. This most recent injury is just another example of a bad pattern that has followed him throughout his career; whenever he gets a chance, he gets hurt. The Red Sox are looking for more depth in the infield, and Cora has to deal with a lot of roster questions. Rodgers missed time, which means he has no room to prove his worth as a bench player.

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Alex Cora bets big on Red Sox offense despite power concerns

Even though there is a lot of uncertainty about Rodgers and the infield logjam, Cora has always been sure of other parts of his team. The manager of the Red Sox isn’t letting outside criticism make him doubt that his team can come through when it counts. As the season gets underway, Boston’s offense has been under a lot of scrutiny. Analysts and fans are wondering if the lineup has enough pop to compete.

When projection systems like ZiPS said that no Red Sox bat would hit a median of 20 homers, people were even more skeptical. Last season, only Trevor Story and one other hitter went over that mark. Story’s 25 home runs were the most of any hitter, but they weren’t very powerful. But Cora put the doubts to rest on Thursday’s “Greg Hill Show” on WEEI, where he showed his players he was serious by saying, “I always do a pledge to the Jimmy Fund. I know the power thing is a thing in Boston. As soon as someone hits 20 home runs, I’m gonna give $20,000 to the Jimmy Fund.”

He has faith in more than just money promises. “I always find something,” Cora stated. “Stealing bases or scoring runs. That’s how sure I am that we’re gonna have power.”

ZiPS says that Story, Wilyer Abreu, and Roman Anthony will each hit 18 home runs, while Willson Contreras, Jarren Duran, and Ceddanne Rafaela will each hit 17. These medians suggest that some players could do better than expected, and whether Boston’s lineup goes from good to dangerous is a big story for the upcoming season.