Nunez aggravates right knee in first game back, sidelined again

The Red Sox were only too happy to welcome Eduardo Nunez back to their lineup Monday night. But his return – and the team’s good feelings about it – didn’t last long.

After a 13-game absence, Nunez served as the team’s DH in their 6-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays -- but only for two at-bats.

Nunez doubled in the first inning, but in the third, he swung and got his spike caught on home plate, wrenching the same knee that had sidelined him more than two weeks ago.

“It’s a little sore,’’ said Nunez, his right knee wrapped after the game. “We didn’t expect (that). I thought I was more ready. My foot got stuck on home plate and something happened that we didn’t expect.’’

Nunez conceded that, even before the incident at the plate, his knee was bothering him as he ran the bases.

“We thought I was more ready than I was,’’ said Nunez. “I think we’re going to keep working, keep positive and hopefully in a couple more days, we’ll try again. It sucks. It’s that time of year, close to the playoffs.’’

Nunez had run the bases in Cincinnati on Sunday, a test to determine his readiness to return to the lineup. He passed that hurdle, but found he regressed in game action.

“I was better (Sunday) than (Monday night),’’ he said. “In the game, the speed was more than I anticipated. There was more intensity than in practice and I think I’m going to shut down for a few days. Hopefully in the series with Houston (which begins Friday), we’ll try again.’’

After originally hurting the right knee just over two weeks ago, Nunez was originally diagnosed with a knee contusion, but a day later, when the knee failed to respond to treatment, an MRI revealed a sprained PCL (posterior cruciate ligament).

“(His return) is quicker than it possibly could have been,’’ John Farrell had said before the game. “You’re talking about some ligament damage. It’s about pain tolerance, it’s about managing it. His body’s got to re-condition to take care of that. The muscles have to respond in a different way. It’s a credit to our training staff that has got him back to this point. They’ve educated him along the way to know what to expect and if he feels a little bit of a zinger, that’s going to go away. He’s not putting himself at further risk.

“I know one thing – Noony is very excited to be back in the lineup tonight.’’

The excitement, however, turned to disappointment by the third inning.

“The plan is day-to-day,’’ said Nunez before the game, “(depending) on how my knee works. Today, I’m going to DH and (Tuesday), we see how my knee responds after the game. I feel really good. If I say I’m 100 percent, I’d be lying. But it’s good enough that I can play.’’

Nunez had been hoping that, at some point during the week, he could play nine innings in the field to give him additional confidence before the post-season begins.

The last few weeks had been tough for Nunez, who has watched from the dugout and the trainer’s room as his teammates ripped off an 8-1 road trip and inched closer to wrapping up the American League East title.

“The only thing I can do is be there for support of all my teammates,’’ said Nunez. “It’s been tough.’’

Now, thanks to a setback Monday night, the uncertainty will continue for a while longer.