Alex Cora Issues Discouraging Update On Red Sox Slugger

Red Sox manager Alex Cora offered discouraging news on outfielder Tyler O'Neill before Boston's series finale with the Kansas City Royals.

O'Neill missed the last four games due to illness and Cora told reporters at Kauffman Stadium that the star slugger is headed to the injured list.

"He's gonna go on the IL," Cora said. "He's been sick, and actually, toward the end of the trip in Texas, he had this infection in his left leg."

Cora said O'Neill is receiving treatment for the infection and will not be able to play for the next three to five days and the Red Sox placed him on the 10-day IL. This is O'Neill's third trip to the IL this season. The 29-year-old's first was a seven-day absence due to a concussion in mid-April, and the second came at the end of May when he went on the 10-day list for right knee inflammation.

Enmnuel Valdez is with the Red Sox in Kansas City as a member of the taxi squad, he is expected to be reinstated prior to first pitch.

"We got (Valdez) here," Cora said. "The reason ... left-handed bat. We can mix and match later in the game. He can play second. He can play left."