With the Celtics getting eradicated from the playoffs in lackluster vogue on Monday evening, all eyes are on the Red Sox.
For the following few months, they’re the one present on the town.
Is Boston’s baseball staff feeling some added stress now?
“They had some great seasons,” Alex Cora stated of the Bruins and Celtics. “And obviously, at the end, you know, it didn’t work out for their organizations, for the city, but at one point, we knew that it was us, and we just gotta keep playing good baseball.”
The supervisor didn’t precisely supply a ringing endorsement of his staff’s present state.
“When you look back, we had some, four horrible series the whole season, and they put us in a spot that, you lose all those games, right?” But the general factor, it’s been, it’s been OK.
“Of course, we can get better, but I don’t think it’s that bad, or it’s that great. It’s kind of like, right in the middle,” the supervisor assessed, noting, “We play in the toughest division in baseball.”
The Red Sox entered a three-game collection with Cincinnati with a 28-25 file, which places them fourth in a division during which each staff is above .500. In every other division, they’d be no decrease than third place.
However, Cora additionally identified that the Red Sox have been defying preseason projections and expectations.
“We’re deeper than what everybody thought we would be,” he stated.
New problem for No. 1
Shortstop Marcelo Mayer made his Double-A Portland debut on Tuesday night. The group’s No. 1 prospect came upon he was being promoted on Sunday, lower than two years after the Red Sox chosen him because the fourth total choose within the 2021 draft.
“He’s a good player, man, he’s a good player, good kid,” Cora stated Tuesday afternoon. “He understands who he is. Tools-wise, he’s really good.”
In their restricted time collectively, the supervisor had excessive reward for the group’s high prospect.
“Everybody has seen the offensive part of it, but the defense is solid, you know? We had him a few times in spring training, in the dugout, and he’s a good baseball player. He understands, he communicates, he’s a leader, too,” the Sox skipper famous.
“He earned this next step,” Chaim Bloom advised the Herald forward of Mayer’s debut. “Ideally we can have every player at the level that’s going to help them grow the most. Double-A will be a good challenge for him, and I’m sure there will be ups and downs, but he’s shown us that he’s ready for it.”
“He’s impressive,” Cora stated, including that it’s not a far drive from Portland to Boston. “We’ve seen guys making that leap. I’m not saying that’s the place we’re at, however you already know, it’s the truth of the enterprise.
“He keeps pushing, and we’re gonna keep challenging him.”
Progress, not excellent
After getting off to a couple tough begins, Chris Sale has been on a comeback tour of epic proportions. Dating again to April 18, he has a 2.91 ERA over his final seven begins, with 46 strikeouts, seven walks, and simply three house runs allowed over his final 43.1 innings (he gave up three homers in his season debut).
“Little by little, we keep adding stuff to his process, and he’s getting better,” Cora lauded. “Velocity went up, location-wise, he’s been solid lately. The changeup is not there, which is kind of like, OK … he’s in a good spot.”
After dealing with Sale with immense care in spring coaching, his supervisor says no restrictions stay.
“With him, (we were) kind of like, taking care of him. He’s out of the window, now we just let him go, and hopefully, he can go on one of those runs like in ’17 and ’18, and carry this pitching staff all the way through,” he stated.
Roster strikes
Corey Kluber went on the Paternity List on Tuesday, opening a roster spot for the Red Sox to recall left-handed reliever Ryan Sherriff from Triple-A.
Sherriff has made two appearances for the big-league staff this 12 months, totaling two scoreless innings.
In addition to shifting Mayer up, the Red Sox have promoted infielder Christian Koss and reliever Theo Denlinger to Triple-A Worcester. After getting off to a chilly begin (he hit .188 with a .570 OPS in April), Koss had a powerful May; over 20 video games, he collected 18 hits, together with 4 doubles and a house run. He’s additionally 11-for-12 in stolen base makes an attempt.
The Red Sox acquired Denlinger from the Chicago White Sox in February, in change for Franklin German. The 26-year-old right-handed reliever posted a 2.29 ERA throughout 14 appearances with Portland, with 20 strikeouts and 7 walks throughout 19.2 innings.
Injury updates
Adam Duvall begins a rehab task with Triple-A Worcester this week.
“He’s the DH today, playing the outfield tomorrow,” Cora stated. “We’ll keep building him up, and it’s about feel with him, too. Obviously, coming from this one and what happened last year.”
Duvall suffered a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist final July, which required season-ending surgical procedure.
The veteran outfielder has been on the injured checklist since April 10. He fractured the identical wrist on a diving catch through the Red Sox collection in Detroit, bringing his sizzling begin to a screeching halt. In his first eight video games of the season, he went 15-for-33 with 5 doubles, a triple, 4 house runs, and 14 RBI.
“Hopefully, it’s the same as early in the season, but we’ll take it day by day with him,” Cora stated, including, “He feels really good.”
Fittingly, the WooSox have a highway collection on the Louisville Bats this week in Duvall’s house state of Kentucky. Louisville can be the previous house of Boston’s Triple-A affiliate, the Colonels. Carlton Fisk and Dwight Evans are among the many Red Sox legends who needed to show themselves in Kentucky earlier than making it to the majors.
Christian Arroyo will proceed his rehab task Wednesday, additionally with the WooSox. The Red Sox need him to play second base, shortstop, and DH. “And then we reassess the situation towards the end of the week,” Cora stated. … Richard Bleier performed catch Tuesday for the primary time since occurring the injured checklist final week.
Source: www.bostonherald.com