Loss of Adam Duvall incalculable for Red Sox after red-hot start

BOSTON — It’s funny how quickly sports move.

A month ago, Adam Duvall could have walked the streets of Boston without a soul recognizing him. A week into the season, he was the hottest hitter on the planet. And now, with a fractured wrist that will sideline Duvall for several weeks and possibly months, there’s a feeling of devastation surrounding the state of the Red Sox.

That reality may work to expose the frailty of this season for the Red Sox. Yet it’s nevertheless a worst-case scenario for a team that really couldn’t afford any loss, let alone one this massive.

Consider that after playing in eight of the Red Sox’ nine games, Duvall led the team in hits (15), doubles (5), RBIs (14), batting average (.455), on-base percentage (.514) and OPS (1.544), and that he was tied for the team lead in triples (1) and home runs (4).

Of the 59 runs scored by the Red Sox this season, Duvall drove in 14 of them and scored 11 of them. He accounts for 23 percent of the team’s total bases, 25 percent of the team’s RBIs, and 29 percent of the team’s extra-base hits.

Behind Duvall and his mammoth 1.544 OPS, Rafael Devers ranks second with a 1.094 OPS. After that, it’s another drop to Alex Verdugo at .875, followed by another significant drop to Masataka Yoshida at .745. The likes of Triston Casas (.715), Justin Turner (.600), Kiké Hernandez (.586) and Christian Arroyo (.448) have gotten off to underwhelming starts at the plate.

The Red Sox may only be 5-4, but without Duvall, that record would likely be a bit uglier, as 12 of his 14 RBIs have come in four Boston victories. Now, the Red Sox are set to find out what life is like without him for the foreseeable future.