In the top of the seventh inning of Monday's battle between the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Guardians, outfielder Tyler O'Neill and third baseman Rafael Devers collided, causing them to remain on the ground for some time.
While Devers remained in the game, O'Neill exited and was taken back to the clubhouse.
After the game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora shared that O'Neill received eight stitches due to the two players knocking their heads together at such a rate of speed. He also announced that both O'Neill and Devers are in concussion protocol.
If Boston were to be without both players for a stretch, it would be a significant loss for their offense, as Devers has been the team's best player in recent years, and O'Neill is tied for the league lead in home runs (seven).
In that scenario, Bobby Dalbec would likely see more action at third base, and the everyday outfield would consist of Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu until O'Neill or Rob Refsnyder returns to the lineup.
