Benintendi (rib cage) goes on injured list

BOSTON -- Red Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi not only fell down and was tagged out trying to go from first to third on Alex Verdugo's RBI single on Tuesday against the Rays, but he strained his right rib cage on the play and is now on the 10-day injured list.

Originally, the hope was that Benintendi might miss just the 10 days because X-rays showed there are no broken bones. But after some further evaluation on Wednesday afternoon, the Red Sox are under the belief he will be out longer.

“Still came back with the same diagnosis, but he did strain it,” Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said after his club’s 9-5 loss to the Rays on Wednesday night. “So he’s going to be a while. It will probably be more than that 10 days that we talked about.”

It has been a tough start to the season for Benintendi, who is hitting .103 (4-for-39) with no homers and one RBI.

To replace Benintendi on the roster, the Red Sox recalled righty Ryan Weber from the club’s alternate training site in Pawtucket, R.I. Weber, who opened the season as the No. 3 starter, had just been optioned on Saturday after a third straight shaky start. He’ll be used in the bullpen upon his return.

“Just feel we’re OK coverage-wise in the outfield, and we could use the other arm,” said Roenicke.

Roenicke added that the loss of Benintendi could lead to J.D. Martinez getting some more time in the outfield.

For Wednesday’s game, Verdugo played left field with Kevin Pillar getting the nod in right. José Peraza is another option for Roenicke in left.

Benintendi got two hits on Tuesday, so Roenicke had been looking forward to seeing how he would build off that. Now, the Red Sox are uncertain when Benintendi will be able to play again.

“I was hoping with the two hits that he got to start off yesterday that that was going to kick-start him some,” said Roenicke. “So actually, this is really unfortunate that it happened. We talked about it yesterday for quite a while, what can get a player going again. Sometimes what he did yesterday could get him going. No, I think it’s a tough break, and hopefully, he’s not out too long to where he loses that feeling of his swing that he’s been working so hard on.”

Hart amped for debut
Red Sox lefty Kyle Hart, the team’s 19th-round selection in the 2016 Draft, will experience the thrill of making his Major League debut Thursday, when he starts the finale of this four-game series against the Rays.

The 27-year-old thinks that all the work he has done to get to this point has made him ready for what awaits at Fenway Park.

“That's the beauty of the game,” said Hart. “I've been at every level of this game, and I've seen every type of player come up, make it, not make it, somewhere in the middle. Young guys, old guys, uber-talented guys, guys maybe with less talent, more grit. I've seen a lot of different types of players. I'm proud of the player I am and the player that's going to debut tomorrow.”

From the other dugout, Rays righty Aaron Slegers, a teammate of Hart at Indiana University, will appreciate the journey Hart has made to get to this point.

“He’s just been one of the most intellectual pitchers I’ve ever played with or watched pitch, even going back to when we were 18 or 19 years old,” Slegers said. “You won’t fool Kyle Hart a second time -- just his cognitive ability out on the mound.

“I know it’s well-documented that he’s not going to light up the radar gun or anything, but what he does provide is a pitch mix and an understanding of scouting reports and what he does well. I think he does a good job of knowing who he is and understanding his pitchability.”

Devers back in lineup
Though they lost Benintendi, the Red Sox did get third baseman Rafael Devers back. The lefty masher missed the previous two games with a sore left ankle that required him wearing a walking boot for a couple of days.

“Devers is doing pretty good,” Roenicke said. “So he went out and ran today, is in the lineup today, and we’ll just see how it goes along the way. I’ll ask him during the game if he’s still feeling it and if something’s still going on some, we’ll try to get him out of there. But right now, he feels really good and [assistant trainer] Brandon [Henry] felt really good about him going out there.”