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Mookie OK after leaving game mid-inning with sore left side

Adam Glanzman / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Crisis averted in Beantown.

Boston Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts, one of the leading candidates for the American League MVP award, left Sunday's game against the New York Mets in the middle of the sixth inning due to an injury.

The Red Sox announced later that Betts was dealing with soreness in his left side, and said that he'll be evaluated further, according to NESN's Guerin Austin. The specific diagnosis raised some alarms, as back in June, Betts spent two weeks on the disabled list due to a left abdominal strain.

But the news on Betts' status was good following Boston's 4-3 win. Manager Alex Cora said that the 25-year-old was doing OK despite feeling sore and he'll likely be able to serve as the team's designated hitter on Tuesday against the Yankees, according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe.

Betts appeared to sustain the injury while throwing to home plate on Wilmer Flores' sacrifice fly. Moments after the play, he called for Red Sox trainers, who accompanied him off the field and into the clubhouse. Tzu-Wei Lin entered the game as Betts' replacement and took over defensively in center field, while Jackie Bradley Jr. shifted to right.

The 25-year-old entered Sunday's game sporting an MLB-best .338 average, along with a 1.054 OPS, 29 home runs, 71 RBIs, and 28 stolen bases in 128 games for the league-leading Red Sox.

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