Tanner Houck’s season seems to be over.
Houck, who’s been on the injured checklist since Aug. 9 with low again irritation, has been shut down from baseball actions. The Red Sox right-hander noticed a again specialist and the membership may have extra certainty on his standing on Friday. But with just a little greater than a month left within the season, supervisor Alex Cora acknowledged Houck probably gained’t return this season.
“There’s a chance. There’s a good chance,” Cora stated when requested if Houck’s season may very well be over.
Cora stated he was uncertain if Houck will want again surgical procedure.
It’s unclear when Houck suffered the again damage. His final look got here on Aug. 2, when he recorded a save in opposition to the Astros for a second consecutive day. Every week later, after he wasn’t utilized in that weekend’s four-game collection in Kansas City, Houck was on the injured checklist with the again subject, which he and Cora stated he had been coping with for some time.
“It’s just been one of those things where it’s been nagging for a while,” Houck stated on Aug. 10. “But for long-term health, probably better to miss a few days now versus months or a year or whatever it is.”
Houck threw a bullpen at Fenway Park on Saturday, which Cora stated went nicely. But in the end the issue wasn’t as short-term as they’d hoped.
If Houck’s season is certainly over, he finishes 2022 with a 3.15 ERA over 60 innings. He started the yr as a starter, however was moved to the bullpen and assumed the nearer function. He recorded eight saves.
Casas stays in Worcester
Triston Casas isn’t becoming a member of the Red Sox simply but.
As rosters expanded to twenty-eight gamers for September on Thursday, the Red Sox recalled catcher Connor Wong and pitcher Eduard Bazardo as their additional place participant and pitcher – at the least for now.
Casas, the Red Sox’ third-ranked prospect by Baseball America, was thought-about however the membership determined to maintain him in Triple-A Worcester to proceed his growth. There’s nonetheless a risk that the primary baseman will get his long-awaited promotion in some unspecified time in the future over the ultimate month.
“He’ll be part of this at one point,” Cora stated. “Just a few days, a month or subsequent yr at one level, he’s a part of the long run. But that is the route we’re going. He’s doing an impressive job. There’s just a few issues that we wish him to maintain working at and he’s nonetheless getting his at-bats, he’s getting his repetitions and that’s an important factor.
“Yeah, everybody gets excited, get him here and do this, but as of now, I think that’s the best way for him to keep getting reps and keep getting better.”
Wong, who was acquired within the Mookie Betts commerce in 2020, debuted final season and has impressed the Red Sox in a small pattern measurement. With catchers Kevin Plawecki and Reese McGuire nonetheless on the crew, they’ll attempt to discover at-bats for Wong, who hit 9 homers in 16 video games in August for Worcester. He will begin Friday in opposition to the Rangers because the Red Sox get one other take a look at him, which may very well be one thing of an audition for a job in 2023.
“He’s swinging the bat well, driving the ball, hitting the ball in the air,” Cora stated. “Obviously behind the plate we’re very snug with him. He was right here final yr when Plaw acquired damage, caught Nate (Eovaldi) a handful of occasions. We had been joking with Plaw, like, we’ll push you out as a result of he was good final yr.
“But we like him a lot. I think he’s making progress. I think physically, I don’t know if you guys saw him, a lot different than last year. Last year he lost a lot of weight throughout the process, throughout the grind, and this year he’s in a much better place.”
The Red Sox will use Bazardo – who made his main league debut with Boston final season earlier than he was designated for task – as a multi-inning reliever. He had a 3.45 ERA in 37 appearances for Worcester this season.
“He can give us multiple innings,” Cora stated. “He pitched three not too long ago. We needed someone like that right now, and a strike thrower. We were very high on him a few years ago and I know we took him off the roster or whatever, but he’s pitched well. So, we’ll use him in the right spots.”
Injury updates
Eric Hosmer (neck) began swinging the bat this week, however the first baseman is experiencing lingering ache.
“He was swinging the bat and hasn’t been able to do defensive work, and that’s what he does, right?” Cora stated.
Nathan Eovaldi (shoulder) threw earlier this week and is “feeling better, but not at the pace that we thought he would be at this stage, so we still have to be careful,” Cora stated. …
Nick Pivetta will face Dallas Keuchel on Friday within the second sport of this four-game Rangers collection. Brayan Bello will begin Saturday in opposition to an unannounced Rangers starter, and Kutter Crawford will oppose Dane Dunning in Sunday’s finale.
Source: www.bostonherald.com