Red Sox put Pearce (back strain) on injured list

NEW YORK -- World Series MVP Steve Pearce has had a tough go of it in 2019, and the latest issue is a back injury that landed the first baseman on the injured list on Saturday.

To replace Pearce on the roster, the Red Sox have recalled first baseman Sam Travis from Triple-A Pawtucket.

Pearce joins starting first baseman Mitch Moreland on the shelf. Moreland was placed on the injured list Wednesday with the same injury -- a low back strain.

Michael Chavis will get the majority of starts at first base while Moreland and Pearce are out. Brock Holt and Eduardo Núñez will share duties at second base. Travis could get an occasional start against a lefty.

Pearce had tried to battle through the injury, but he felt numbness following his first at-bat in Friday's 4-1 loss and came out of the game after that.

"That was an indicator to come out," said Pearce. "I don't know how long it's going to take, but I'll get on top of it and work on it every day. I just kind of felt it building up. I felt it during the at-bat yesterday and felt it would be worse trying to play through it."

The Red Sox will send Pearce to Boston on Sunday so the team's training staff can get a closer look at the injury.

There is currently no timetable for Pearce's return to action.

"Yesterday, it was a battle the whole day he was saying, and he felt it right away," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "Hopefully it's just like Mitch -- it's just a few days and he can come back and be with us sooner rather than later. They'll check on him on Monday and we'll know [more]."

Perhaps the break will give Pearce time to gather himself. The right-handed hitter has a .180 average with one homer and nine RBIs.

"Yeah, it's not really going according to plan, but [I've] got to just roll with it and keep going," said Pearce. "I'm not throwing in the towel by any means. I just want to get this right and keep working, and hopefully when we come back, get the ball rolling. Sometimes that's the game and you have to roll with it and I'll come out of it a better player because of it."

Eovaldi's next step?

Nathan Eovaldi felt no worse for the wear a day after he threw 22 pitches to Holt and Chavis in a simulated game.

What is next?

"Most likely he's going to throw another sim game on Tuesday in Kansas City, and then most likely after that, we'll make another decision," said Cora. "But, yeah, that's the way it looks."

Assuming the second simulated game goes well, the next logical step for Eovaldi after that would be a Minor League rehab assignment.

Family time for Pedroia

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who is taking an indefinite break from baseball to re-evaluate whether his left knee will allow him to play again, accompanied the Red Sox to New York for this weekend series. He will fly to Arizona with his wife Kelli and their three sons after the series and stay there for a while.

"Actually, his family is in town, so he's hanging out with them," said Cora. "We'll stay in touch, no timelines. He needs his time with his family. I think the family -- Kelli and the kids -- they need Dustin too, and it's very important for them to spend time together and for him to just gather himself a little bit. I know he'll be on the phone checking it out, whatever, paying attention, but I think it's very important for them to spend time together."