The Boston Red Sox are getting ready for the postseason, and their starting third baseman has been playing hurt.
Caleb Durbin dislocated his pinky earlier in the year and then reinjured it. However, he has continued to play, swing a good bat, and play elite defense at third base. He received X-rays after the original injury and the reinjury, but he was told there was no fracture and he could play if he could handle the pain.
“It doesn’t quite straighten or bend all the way,” Durbin told the Boston Globe's Alex Speier.
Durbin started the season off terribly at the plate. However, since May 28, he is slashing .285/.371/.444 with 12 home runs and 28 total extra-base hits. He does not miss games, and has lived up to the reputation he built in Milwaukee.
“There really is kind of a joint understanding (with the team) that we’ll get it looked at at the end of the season if we have to, because (whatever the diagnosis is), it’s not going to impact my decision to play at all,” he said.
Durbin said he is not sure if he will require surgery in the offseason, but for now, he is focused on helping the Red Sox win. The team was essentially headed for a lost season, but Chad Tracy has turned things around. Durbin turning his season around has also played a huge role in that.