It’s almost unbelievable when you think about it, but the Red Sox have suffered yet another injury.  According to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (click here for the article), catcher Victor Martinez “has a fractured distal phalanx, which is the bone on the tip of his thumb”.

While it’s a bit of a surprise, it appears it is not a lock that Martinez goes on the DL.  Manager Terry Francona was quoted in the article as saying, “What bothered him today … it was swollen, he was having trouble getting it in his glove. It’s not a given that he’ll go on the DL. It’s not a given that he’s going to be OK, either. We’ll get him examined tomorrow and see where we go from there.

Getting the glove on should not be the only concern.  Will he be able to swing a bat effectively with this type of injury?

He’s an incredibly risky play for the upcoming scoring period.  Then again, he’s the type of hitter, especially at a shallow position, that is worth gambling on.  Even if he only plays a game or two, the potential production from Martinez is greater then that of the potential replacements.  Even getting 0s from him for the week may be better then taking negative statistics if you are in a really deep league.

If he was to find his way onto the DL, you are not going to want no production for that long.  Here are a few names that may be available for those in two-catcher formats that could be viable replacements:

Here are a few names to consider:

• Jason Castro – The rookie is a concern, for sure, but he has been hot out of the gates and gets regular playing time.  Hopefully you won’t need him for long, so you can catch lightning in a bottle for a few weeks.
• Jason Varitek – He’s going to replace Martinez in the lineup, especially given the Red Sox current lack of depth at the position (their two Triple-A catchers are also on the DL).  Of course, the Red Sox have long been rumored to be shopping for a catcher, so this could expedite the process.
• Chris Iannetta – He had a slow start and unfortunately hasn’t produced upon his return from Triple-A.  Still, we all know the power is there, so he could be worth the gamble.

Clearly, it is pretty slim pickings.  Let’s hear who is actually available in your league to potentially replace Martinez with?  Would you take the gamble on him this week?

To view the previous article, click here.