Hanley Ramirez's MRI reveals no structural damage, could avoid DL

Hanley Ramirez crashed into the Green Monster during Monday night's Red Sox game against the Rays, and it rightfully put a scare into the Sox. The concern was that Ramirez had sprained his shoulder and the damage could keep him out for some time -- something the Red Sox lineup can't afford to have happen -- but it appears those concerns could be unfounded. An MRI revealed no structural damage in Hanley's shoulder, and CSNNE's Sean McAdam reports that Ramirez might even play as soon as Boston's next series against the Blue Jays, which begins Friday.

Now, the Sox aren't out of the woods yet: Ramirez is still feeling soreness in his shoulder, and the whole "could play in Toronto" thing is heavy on the if side. The soreness would need to subside, and even it does, the Sox need to make sure there aren't any lingering effects from the collision. Ramirez has had left shoulder problems in the past, as it's been subluxated and surgically repaired for a separate injury a few years later, so don't exhale until we see if Hanley is still mashing with the ease he displayed prior to his crashing into the wall.

With all that caution out there, it's still a good time to breathe a tiny sigh of relief. Not seeing any structural damage on the MRI is still a significant win, as even if things aren't immediately great for Hanley's shoulder, they likely could have been a whole lot worse.

Until Ramirez returns, the Sox will likely use a combination of Allen Craig, Brock Holt, and Daniel Nava to fill in the gaps -- remember, Shane Victorino is still on the disabled list, and Rusney Castillo is just getting his outfield legs back under him at Pawtucket. The good news? Allen Craig gets some at-bats, and Allen Craig needs at-bats. The bad news? Allen Craig and Daniel Nava might end up wearing gloves in the same outfield at the same time.