The Red Sox are the one remaining undefeated group in spring coaching, regardless of an uncommon damage scenario.
Hours after Alex Cora gave promising updates on Connor Wong and James Paxton, who suffered Grade-1 hamstring strains inside 24 hours of one another on Thursday and Friday, Sunday’s sport yielded a 3rd hamstring damage.
Wilyer Abreu, the group’s No. 23 prospect, sustained a left hamstring pressure working to first base after hitting a single to steer off the seventh inning.
The 23-year-old outfielder was visibly in ache as he stood on first, prompting Cora and a coach to expire. Ultimately, they helped him limp off the sphere.
Wong and Paxton are “feeling better,” the Red Sox supervisor instructed reporters, together with MLB’s Ian Browne. “They’re getting treatment and all that stuff but [both] actually feeling much better than what we thought they would be.”
He sounded much less optimistic about Abreu. “Kind of similar like Wong,” Cora instructed reporters after the sport. “He’ll be out for a while.”
One of two spectacular prospects acquired from the Astros in final summer time’s Christian Vázquez commerce, Abreu is a promising mixture of plate self-discipline and energy; he drew 114 walks and hit 29 doubles and 19 residence runs in 129 video games final yr, together with 36 walks in 40 video games with the Red Sox Double-A affiliate after the commerce.
It’s been a short however standout spring coaching for Abreu to date. He’d appeared in six preseason contests earlier than Sunday, and picked up three hits (two for additional bases), 4 RBI, and 5 runs. In the blowout victory over the Phillies on March 2, he hit the group’s second grand slam of the sport.
Three of the identical accidents in such a brief span isn’t unprecedented, but it surely’s actually distinctive.
The warmth and humidity in Fort Myers could possibly be a contributing issue, and one the Red Sox can’t precisely management, however they had been already taking steps to fight the circumstances earlier than Abreu acquired damage. On Sunday morning, Cora instructed reporters that they’d put the gamers via a lighter pregame exercise.
“Today was an easy day for them,” he stated. “Bad luck, I guess.”
An edgy begin
Corey Kluber’s second begin of spring coaching acquired a bit dicey in direction of the tip, however with somewhat assist from RHP Chase Shugart, the starter’s day ended with a scoreless outing of two 2/3 innings.
The 36-year-old righty allowed two hits, walked two, and struck out 4 of 12 batters confronted. Shugart acquired a strikeout to depart the bases loaded and protect Kluber’s shutout.
In the second, the veteran issued a uncommon stroll, prompting Kevin Youkilis, in his sophomore season within the NESN sales space, to comment, “He lives on the edges.”
Indeed, Kluber has been stingy with free bases all through his profession. Between 2012-18, the two-time Cy Young-winner had a 1.9 BB9, strolling simply 274 batters throughout 1,301 2/3 innings.
But over the next three seasons, as accidents restricted and impacted his enjoying time, he solely pitched 116 2/3 innings and had an elevated 3.8 BB9.
Last yr was Kluber’s first full season since 2018. He made 31 begins for a complete of 164 innings, and although he wasn’t as efficient at limiting runs as he’d been at his peak, a major signal of return to kind was his 1.2 BB9, which led all of MLB.
Adding pitchers who restrict walks (and hitters adept at drawing them) was a transparent precedence for the Red Sox this offseason.
Understandably so; final yr’s 3.3 BB9 tied for fifth-worst mark in baseball, and the bullpen had the second-highest stroll price within the American League.
Worse but, the Red Sox have had the second-highest bullpen stroll price of their league during the last 5 years.
In addition to Kluber, the Red Sox added veteran reliever Chris Martin, who boasts a 1.2 profession BB9, and a 1.0 BB9 since 2018, when he returned to the majors after pitching in Japan for 2 years.
Martin’s minuscule 2.2% stroll price final season led all pitchers (minimal 30 innings); the MLB common is 8.3%. Of the 24 Red Sox pitchers who threw 10 or extra innings, Nathan Eovaldi’s 4.3% stroll price was one of the best on the roster.
Even extra spectacular, Martin averaged 14.80 strikeouts per stroll final yr. Of the 144 relievers who threw 50 or extra innings in 2022, solely three had Ok/BB charges of seven or higher. But even inside that elite trio, he was miles forward of the competitors; Diamondbacks pitcher Joe Mantiply ranked second, with a ten.17 Ok/BB.
Kenley Jansen, Boston’s new nearer, is 35 and coming into his 14th season within the majors, however continues to close down the opposition. Since his age-30 season in 2018, he has a 3.1 BB9, in addition to a 30.7% strikeout price (MLB common is 21%).
Injury updates
Cora supplied an replace on Adalberto Mondesí, the infielder acquired from the Royals in January brimming with potential that’s been repeatedly blocked by accidents.
“Tomorrow, he’s gonna get retested as far as like, strength and all that stuff, so we can compare the numbers to the first test and see where we’re at,” the Red Sox supervisor instructed reporters.
Mondesí tore his left ACL in April 2022, and solely started taking actual batting observe in late February. He’s additionally been taking grounders, Cora stated, however not daily.
Since his debut, a novel event because it got here in the course of the 2015 World Series, the 27-year-old has solely performed 60 or extra regular-season video games twice in seven years within the majors, and solely reached triple-digit video games as soon as, in 2019.
Prospect spotlight
The Red Sox already had a 2-1 lead when David Hamilton got here as much as bat, however his 2-run double gave them some cushion. For a number of days already, they’ve been the one undefeated group in spring coaching.
Another day, one other spectacular defensive outing by Ceddanne Rafaela, who continues to make the inconceivable look easy. The membership’s No. 3 prospect (No. 86 in MLB) additionally went 2-for-2 with a run scored.
Reassignments
On Sunday morning, the Red Sox reassigned right-handed pitchers Dan Altavilla and Victor Santos, catcher Elih Marrero, and infielder Matthew Lugo to minor league camp.
Next up
Chris Sale makes his spring coaching debut Monday versus the Tigers.
This will likely be his first time pitching in a sport since July 2022 at Yankee Stadium, when an Aaron Hicks line-drive come-backer fractured the southpaw’s pinky within the first inning of his second begin of the yr.
Source: www.bostonherald.com