BOSTON — Like Steve Pearce and Nathan Eovaldi before him, Ian Kinsler wasted no time offering his opinions on the Boston Red Sox.

The veteran second baseman was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels along with cash considerations for Pawtucket relievers Ty Buttrey and Williams Jerez late Monday night.

Kinsler started and batted sixth Tuesday night against the Phillies, hoping to make his first contribution to what he called “the best team in baseball right now.” He went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts.

“It’s a good group of guys,” Kinsler said before the game. “When you hear that from guys that are on the team you know what you’re walking into. It’s a bunch of guys that are pulling to win and they’re all pulling in the same direction.”

Kinsler hardly needed an introduction to several of his new teammates. He played with David Price, Rick Porcello and Martinez on the 2014 Detroit Tigers. He also called first baseman Mitch Moreland a teammate with the Texas Rangers.

Those Detroit and Texas clubs were postseason staples during the early part of the decade, and Boston is in hot pursuit of a third straight American League East crown.

“To be a team like this, to be this type of team, you need to do everything well,” Kinsler said. “I think that’s the most impressive thing. You see World Series teams, playoff contenders – they do everything well.”

Kinsler batted .300 over his last 27 games with Los Angeles, cracking six doubles and three homers. He’s hit 20 or more doubles in each of his 13 seasons and only failed to reach double-digit homers in 2010.

Manager Alex Cora said Kinsler would likely bat sixth when he plays, a production spot in the order behind Moreland and Xander Bogaerts.

“He’s a guy who makes a lot of contact,” Cora said. “From one through five, we have a lot of traffic. Having him in that spot, he’s going to benefit.”

Kinsler’s primary contribution could well come on the defensive side. At 10 runs saved, per FanGraphs, he leads all American League second basemen and is second only to the Cardinals’ Kolten Wong (15) in the big leagues. Eduardo Nunez and Brock Holt have combined to cost Boston 15 runs on defense in their 111 games at the position this season.

CHRIS SALE expects to miss just one start after he was placed on the 10-day disabled list with mild left shoulder inflammation.

Sale will miss his scheduled start against the Yankees at Fenway Park. Brian Johnson will pitch in Sale’s place. Sale was frustrated he had to miss a start but confident it is not a long-term issue. He said if it was a playoff game, he would be pitching. The Red Sox will not send him for an MRI.

“We’re not hiding anything. This is nothing we’re worried about,” Sale said. “This is a concern at most. This is not something I thought, or anybody thought, was necessary to get an MRI. Just a little soreness in your pitching arm. Take some Advil, get it rubbed down and be ready to go.”

Sale is hopeful he will make his next scheduled start at home against the Blue Jays next week.

Sale said the soreness is located in the same area in his shoulder that he generally gets sore, but the soreness built up this time.

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