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Betts leaves with sore hamstring
Xander Bogaerts takes a knee after getting shaken up. (John Tlumacki/Globe Staff)
By Nick Cafardo
Globe Staff

Any time Mookie Betts comes out of a game there’s a sense of anxiety coming from the Red Sox, and with good reason — Betts has been arguably one of the top five players in baseball this season.

Betts, who leads the majors in runs scored (29) and is top five in six other major categories, had to leave Saturday’s game with right hamstring tightness. It was precautionary, according to the team, and he’s listed as day to day. Betts came out before the fifth inning after he’d doubled and scored twice in three plate appearances. He was hit with a pitch to lead off the first inning but shook that off.

“He tweaked his hamstring running around the bases,’’ manager Alex Cora said. “It was just tight. He’s day to day so we’ll see how he is.’’

Blake Swihart took his place in the lineup and went to left field, shifting Andrew Benintendi to center and Jackie Bradley Jr. to right.

Suspension begins

Steven Wright started serving his 15-game penalty for a domestic violence program violation last winter.

Wright was returned from his rehabilitation assignment with Triple A Pawtucket, reinstated from the disabled list, and placed on the restricted list for 15 games.

In two rehab appearances with the PawSox, Wright allowed eight runs (six earned) on 11 hits in 7⅔ innings, striking out seven batters and walking three. In 2017, he made five starts for Boston before his season-ending knee surgery.

When his suspension is up, then what?

The Red Sox could place him on the disabled list again, but will likely put him in the bullpen, or they could take the chance and try to outright him to Pawtucket. They would have to place Wright on waivers and hope that no team picked him up. Two reasons that could happen is Wright, 33, is coming off major knee surgery and some teams may be reluctant to add a knuckleballer.

More than likely, Wright will go to the bullpen, barring an injury to a pitcher in the starting rotation.

Wright made the All-Star team in 2016, finishing with a 13-6 record, a 3.33 ERA, and four complete games in 24 starts. Since his 2013 major league debut, he has made 40 starts and 15 relief appearances for the Red Sox, going 21-14 with a 3.97 ERA.

Kelly’s absence felt

It’s likely not a comforting sight to see Joe Kelly watching the Red Sox from a booth above the field. He’s serving the second game of a six-game suspension for throwing at Yankees first baseman Tyler Austin and inciting a brawl.

His appeal was upheld.

It’s a big loss for the Red Sox, who likely would have used him two to four times during the course of the six games. He has been without question Boston’s best setup reliever. The Red Sox entered Saturday’s 12-6 loss to the Rays with the bullpen having allowed two runs over their last 32⅓ innings, but Heath Hembree and Brian Johnson surrendered six runs over 3⅓ innings on Saturday. Only Matt Barnes survived the carnage Saturday.

Cora had said Hector Velazquez might be someone who needs to step up, and on cue Friday night he certainly did, throwing 3⅓ scoreless innings in Boston’s 4-3 loss. Velazquez kept the Sox in the game and allowed the offense to make it close and have a chance to come back.

In between the Opening Day bullpen meltdown and Saturday’s outing, Sox relievers had a 2.56 ERA and had held opponents to a .201 average.

“What Velazquez did coming in and almost finishing the game [on Friday] was huge, especially where we were yesterday and where we’re going to be the next five games [because of Kelly’s suspension], I guess. They’re doing an outstanding job,’’ Cora said before the game.

“The data we have available has helped me make decisions. It’s not the same guy in the eighth. It’s not the same guy facing lefties. It’s a little bit different. With their [collective] stuff it’s easy to do that. Most of the time we can match up with their hitters and get them out.’’

Bogaerts to sit out

Cora said before the game that Xander Bogaerts will get Sunday off. Bogaerts looked as if he wrenched his back a bit trying to field a pop-up in the sixth, which sent the trainer out to the field. But Bogaerts stayed in the game . . . Red Sox catchers aren’t hitting. Sandy Leon is at .107 and Christian Vazquez .183. Could this open the door for some playing time for Swihart behind the plate? The feeling is not right away. Cora likes what Leon and Vazquez are giving the team defensively and he wouldn’t want to disrupt that. But if it should continue through May, who knows? Cora has been struggling to get Swihart at-bats, but hasn’t ventured into getting the utilityman work behind the plate.