PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Ryan Hanigan may end up being the beneficiary of increased playing time, if, as it certainly seems, Christian Vazquez is going to be sidelined for an extensive period of time thanks to an elbow injury.
But Hanigan wasn't viewing it that way Saturday.
Vazquez underwent an MRI on his ailing right elbow and while the Red Sox maintained that they were still engaged in "fact-finding,'' and wouldn't offer a diagnosis, Hanigan sounded like someone who knew that his teammate is facing a long recovery -- likely with surgery to repair the elbow.
"It's tough, man,'' said Hanigan after the Red Sox beat Tampa Bay, 9-6. "I don't know what to say. He's worked hard. He's excited. But he's young, he's going to have a bright future. It's just too bad. I haven't had a chance to talk to him. I just heard today. I don't know what's going to happen. But he's a good kid. He worked hard. It's just too bad.
"He'll be back. He's just going to have to put in the work to get himself back. The positive thing is whatever happens, hopefully, he won't have to deal with it the rest of his career. They'll get it taken care of. I don't know the details. I don't want to say too much about it. But I was looking forward to working with him this year. It's just too bad.''
If Vazquez is indeed lost for an extended period of time, or, maybe the entire season, however, Hanigan is prepared to shoulder the majority of playing time for the Sox behind the plate.
"I always train to come to be the starting guy,'' he said. "That's what I've always kind of wanted, to tell you the truth. I trained that way in the off-season, so I'm going to work hard to be ready whenever my name's called. I figure that will probably be the situation. I'll put in my work in daily, get the body ready and get on the field.''
Hanigan set a career high in games played in 2012 with Cincinnati, catching 112 games, and that experience was invaluable.
"You have to put in a lot of time after a game, recovery-wise,'' said Hanigan. "As much times as you put in preparing, you've got to put in an hour, hour-and-a-half after to be ready for the next day. You have to be diligent, put in the time.''
Obtained in a deal with San Diego this past winter, Hanigan has been a quick study with the Boston pitching staff and believes he's ready to catch them.
"I've had a lot of good conversations with these guys,'' said Hanigan. "I know where all these guys are at, I know what the checkpoints are. I think I can still benefit in this next week and a half on some sequencing -- calling a game, what they can execute, what they can throw off certainpitches. But I feel good. I know what their [pitches] do. I know how they want to pitch.
"I've been able to talk to them and give my two cents. I've gotten good feedback. I'm excited. We'll see how it goes. We're going to make some adjustments on the fly as the season goes, I'm sure and make some changes here and there. But I feel good.''