|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 9:13:54 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 23m Roster decisions still loom (backup C), (last INF), (last OF), (final bullpen spot), but Alex Cora wanted to personally tell Zack Kelly and Triston Casas they made the team. A respect factor for two guys who never made an OD roster.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 9:16:03 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 43m A little bit of Sox news. Zack Kelly made the team. One bullpen decision remaining.
Alex Cora met with Triston Casas and Zack Kelly to tell them they made the team.
Not necessarily a surprise in either case. But it's special when a player makes an Opening Day roster for the first time.
#RedSox still have to decide on a few things:
* Wong or Alfaro as backup catcher. * Chang or Dalbec as backup infielder. * Creating a 40-man roster spot for Tapia, who seems certain to make the team. * One bullpen spot.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 11:36:14 GMT -5
Yu Chang, in Red Sox roster competition, to play Monday; no decision on Raimel Tapia yet
Published: Mar. 26, 2023, 11:37 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Yu Chang likely will make the Red Sox’s Opening Day roster despite having yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game. Opening Day is Thursday.
The infielder will play his first game Monday against the Braves at CoolToday Park in North Port, Fla. He appeared in a minor league game on the backfields Saturday.
“He’s moving well,” manager Alex Cora said Sunday. “Physically, he looks the same. ... Defensively, we have no questions. It’s just a matter of where we’re at (roster-wise) in the upcoming days.”
Chang finally arrived at camp Thursday after participating with Chinese Taipei in the World Baseball Classic. The 27-year-old right-handed hitter was named the tourney’s Pool A MVP. He went 7-for-16 (.438 batting average) with a .500 on-base percentage, .938 slugging percentage, two homers, two doubles, eight RBIs, five runs, two walks and two strikeouts in four games. His spring training arrival then was delayed even longer because of a visa issue.
Chang is competing with Bobby Dalbec for the final infield spot. He is better defensively at shortstop and second base than Dalbec. That’s why Chang likely will make the team despite his lack of Grapefruit League game reps.
Chang signed a major league deal with the Red Sox on Feb. 18. It will pay him $850,000 and it includes performance bonuses.
Tapia’s deadline
The Red Sox need to make a decision on outfielder Raimel Tapia soon. Tapia told MassLive.com on Saturday that he belongs on the 26-man roster.
“We’re still working on stuff,” Cora said Sunday when asked if Tapia will be on the team. “He’s done everything possible. But we’ve got guys that they are good players too. So we’ll make decisions when we have to make them.”
The 29-year-old left-handed hitter signed a minor league contract that will pay him $2 million if he makes the major league club. It also includes an opt-out clause. He can elect free agency and pursue opportunities elsewhere, either on major or minor league deals, if he’s not added to the roster.
Tapia’s opt-out decision is due Monday, SoxProspects.com’s Chris Hatfield reported.
Wong will be ready for Opening Day
Connor Wong, who is competing with Jorge Alfaro for the second catcher spot, hasn’t appeared in a Grapefruit League game since March 2 because of a hamstring injury.
Wong did appear in minor league games Friday and Saturday. He was the DH Friday and he caught Saturday.
Cora said he’s comfortable Wong will be ready for Opening Day (if he makes the club) despite his lack of spring training at-bats and innings caught.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 11:38:06 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 1h Closer Kenley Jansen, who dealt with light-headedness, dizzy spells and an upset stomach the last couple of days, was back at the ballpark today and expected to pitch tomorrow in his final tune-up for Opening Day.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 12:56:38 GMT -5
Sale allows a 2 run tater over the fence in RF Verdugo jumped for it but that goofy chain likely held him down
2-0 Twins
Red Sox do not have a hit yet
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 13:02:36 GMT -5
Devers first dinger of the spring and that one was blasted
2-1 Twins
4th
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 13:23:28 GMT -5
Pete Abraham Retweeted Julian McWilliams @byjulianmack · 4m Kiké Hernández is out of the game at shortstop. He got hit in the wrist earlier in the game. Will know more later.
Dalbec takes over.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 13:27:20 GMT -5
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne · 3m One of the big questions of Spring Training is if Chris Sale would still be healthy for the end of it. He is. You can see him next on Saturday at Fenway.
His Line: 5.0 ip/ 5/2/2/2bb/3k/ @ 80 pitches
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 13:48:21 GMT -5
Ort dishes up a 2 out 2 run home run dear jesus, let this be the last game he is in Boston
4-2 Twins
6th
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 43m Kaleb Ort has allowed 10 ER on 14 hits (5 of them HR) and 8 walks over 9.1 IP in spring training.
"We love his stuff," Cora said this morning.
Obviously they do, as he held his roster spot all winter. But don't the results have to be there at some point?
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 14:04:05 GMT -5
Blier on the bump for the Red Sox 2 run bomb to LF Obrien yapping about this could be a good year and that is it for me for this crap
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 19:05:58 GMT -5
Sale finishes strong -- and best of all, healthy Lefty will be on Opening Day roster for first time since 2019: '[It means] more than you know' 6:12 PM ADT Ian Browne
Ian Browne @ianmbrowne
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Red Sox lefty Chris Sale came to Spring Training healthy, and that was big.
However, something much bigger happened on Sunday. Sale made his final Grapefruit League start against the Twins and will leave camp as healthy as he arrived.
Next up for Sale? Game 2 of the regular season at Fenway Park on Saturday against the Orioles.
For a seven-time American League All-Star who hasn’t been on the Opening Day roster since 2019, this is no small thing.
How much is Sale looking forward to it?
“More than you know,” said Sale. “It’s going to be a big day for a lot of people. So I’m really excited for that, and just appreciative of it. Very appreciative of it.”
The start-by-start buildup of Spring Training is something that Sale missed as he was constantly stuck in the trainer’s room rehabbing one injury or another.
“I really wanted to focus on obviously getting all the way through and just sharpening my tools, getting better, getting my mechanics sound,” said Sale. “You guys know it’s been a while since I’ve been out there competitively. So not only being able to get my mechanics down but having some good outings and making some good pitches when I needed to, it gives me confidence going into the season.”
For a final tuneup, Sale scattered five hits and allowed two runs over five innings in Boston’s 7-2 loss to Minnesota. He walked two and struck out three.
The relevance of those numbers paled in comparison to the one number that mattered the most: zero work days missed this spring due to health issues.
The fact that Sale will joke about some of the fluky mishaps he had last season is indicative enough of how good he feels these days.
“It seems like he’s enjoying the moment,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He’s taking it day by day. He’ll joke with it like he’s a bike ride away from going on the IL. That’s the way it works here. But he’ll be OK. We’re looking forward to Saturday, just go out there and just compete. An afternoon game at Fenway, hopefully the weather cooperates and it’s a good afternoon and we can enjoy it.”
The first thing Sale will enjoy is Opening Day on Thursday, which happens to be his 34th birthday. Cora could have pitched Sale, and nobody would have questioned the move. But the manager wanted his ace to enjoy the day and soak in all the festivities.
The Red Sox don’t play on Friday. And in Game 2, Fenway Park will have its first Sale Day since 2021. Sale made only two starts last season, and both were on the road.
“He’s always been a great teammate, but there were certain days he was cranky,” said Cora. “We don’t have those days anymore. Like I said, he should enjoy Thursday, re-set Friday and go after it on Saturday. I think that’s the best way we can do it.”
If the way Sale threw the ball in Spring Training is any indication, he could wind up in the running for the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
“It’s been a long time, and I'm happy to have this opportunity to start the season healthy and give my team a chance to win,” said Sale. “It’s something I haven’t been able to do for a few years. It’s what I’ve been wanting to do. It’s been eating at me. I have it now and I want to roll with it.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 19:07:16 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Hernández OK after HBP 5:20 PM ADT LATEST NEWS
March 26: SS Kiké Hernández exits with right wrist contusion In the bottom of the third inning of Sunday's game against the Twins, Hernández was hit on the right wrist by a pitch from righty Sonny Gray. Hernández initially stayed in the game. But when the Red Sox went out for defense in the top of the fifth, Bobby Dalbec replaced Hernández at shortstop. The injury was announced as a right wrist contusion. After the 7-2 loss to the Twins, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Hernández was OK and is likely to start Monday's game against the Braves.
March 26: RHP Kenley Jansen to tune up in Minors game on Monday Jansen, Boston's closer, will be back in action on Monday in a Minor League game. That will be his final tuneup before Opening Day. Jansen couldn't finish his last outing on March 24 due to light-headedness. He remained dizzy and had some stomach issues the next day. Jansen now appears ready to go. He was assured that the light-headedness had nothing to do with the heart issues he has had in the past.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 19:09:36 GMT -5
With Red Sox roster decisions looming, Kaleb Ort (5 HR, 9.1 IP) again struggles
Updated: Mar. 26, 2023, 4:42 p.m.|Published: Mar. 26, 2023, 4:40 p.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Red Sox righty Kaleb Ort recorded two quick outs on fly balls to center field to begin the sixth inning against the Twins on Sunday.
But he then walked Michael A. Taylor and gave up a two-run homer to Willi Castro in Boston’s 7-2 loss in Grapefruit League action at JetBlue Park. It was the fifth home run Ort has allowed in 9 ⅓ innings this spring.
“I don’t really care about the homer. I care about the walk with two outs,” manager Alex Cora said. “I think that puts you in a bad spot.”
Ort is competing for the final spot in the Red Sox bullpen but he hasn’t made a strong case. He has allowed 10 runs (all earned), 14 hits and eight walks while striking out seven in his 9 ⅓ innings.
Despite his ugly stats, Ort is the favorite to win the final spot in the ‘pen simply because he’s on the 40-man roster. Lefty Oddanier Mosqueda and Ryan Sherriff also are in the mix but the Red Sox would need to clear a 40-man roster spot for either pitcher.
Massachusetts online sports betting is live. Learn more about the top sportsbook operators in Mass. such as FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM to find the best offers available.
“The homers, they are damage. But it’s what happens before,” Cora said. “I think we’ve been walking too many guys before that happens. It’s not the stuff. We know the stuff is really good. It’s about executing. And at this level, we have to execute. This is where we’re at. We’ll see what decisions we make in the upcoming days. But we still trust him stuff-wise. At one point, toward the end of the season last year, he actually executed. He was really good, especially against lefties. So that’s what we’re trying to accomplish. That’s what we want him to do. But today was a tough one.”
It’s all about strike-throwing with Ort.
“He’s got stuff,” GM Brian O’Halloran said earlier in camp. “And if can throw more strikes, we just feel like his stuff is going to play in the big leagues.”
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 19:18:17 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Chris Sale finishes spring with five strong innings, finally looking healthy for an Opening Day By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated March 26, 2023, 2:52 p.m.
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Chris Sale made it through spring training without a scratch. For the first time since 2019, the Red Sox lefthander will be an active player on the roster come Opening Day.
“I just really wanted to focus on obviously getting all the way through and just sharpening my tools again,” Sale said after his final Grapefruit League start Sunday, a 7-2 loss to the Twins in which he went five innings, allowing a two-run blast in the top of the fourth. “[My spring was about] getting better, getting more mechanically sound. You guys know it’s been a while since I’ve been out there competitively.”
Elbow inflammation, Tommy John surgery, a broken rib, a broken pinky, and a broken wrist claimed much of Sale’s last four seasons. Getting through the spring healthy was a part of the mission for Sale. He wasn’t relieved to have done it, he said, but appreciative for the opportunity.
“I’m just happy to be here,” Sale said. “I’ve said it 1,000 times, but it’s been a long time and I’m just happy to have this opportunity to start the season healthy and give my team a chance to win. I haven’t been able to do that for a few years. So that’s what I’ve been wanting to do.”
Sale sat at 94-95 miles per hour for most of the spring, topping out at 98. He has a better feel for his slider, the pitch he needs to round out the rest of his fastball-changeup mix.
“That’s something I’m gonna have to have. If I’m going to be successful, that’s a big pitch for me,” Sale said. “I feel like I’m in a good spot with it. You know, obviously working, you’re always working on everything. But I felt like I came here with a mission and I’ve achieved that.”
Sale won’t start on Opening Day; that responsibility will belong to Corey Kluber. Manager Alex Cora wanted Sale to enjoy the day, then pitch Saturday in the second of the three-game set against the Orioles.
What will that start mean to Sale?
“More than you know,” he said. “It’s going to be a big day for a lot of people.” Triston Casas gets his moment
It was a given Triston Casas would make the team out of camp. The Red Sox designated first baseman Eric Hosmer for assignment in December, clearing the way for Casas at the position.
But it still means something to a young player for them to hear that they made the Opening Day roster. So, Cora announced it during a team meeting Sunday morning.
“I’ve been thinking about this day for a really long time,” Casas said. “It’s going to be really special. I mean, Fenway, hopefully, we get a really good crowd. [That’s what] I’m expecting and hopefully there are a couple of festivities that make it that much more special. But at the end of the day, it’s going to be about going out there and getting that first one.”
Sunday represented a moment Casas manifested. When he was optioned to Triple A Worcester during camp last season, Casas told Cora that would be the last time the team would make that decision.
“The player that I was last year, I wasn’t good enough to make the team,” Casas said. “I knew that there was a lot of stuff that I had to work on. When I told AC that last year, I stood on it and I made sure that I made good on my word. I want to make sure that I’m a trustworthy part of the team.”
Casas is batting .346 (18 of 52) with three homers this spring.
“We love him the way he is,” Cora said. Zack Kelly makes team
The Red Sox also informed Zack Kelly that he made the Opening Day roster during the meeting. It will be the first Opening Day for Kelly, who made his big league debut in August. He currently holds a 2.70 ERA in 10 innings this spring.
“We will use him in a multi-inning [role],” Cora said. “He’ll be one of those guys with [Josh Winckowski] in the bullpen. We feel very confident with him.”
The Red Sox still have one more spot to fill in their bullpen, Cora said. Kiké Hernández OK after wrist scare
Kiké Hernández, who is hitting .136 this spring, was removed from Sunday’s game with a right wrist contusion. In the second inning, Hernández took a Sonny Gray fastball off the wrist. He remained at shortstop for the third and fourth, but was removed and replaced by Bobby Dalbec before the fifth. After the game, Cora said Hernández was OK and was taken out for precautionary reasons. The expectation is Hernández will play Monday against Atlanta . . . Connor Wong (hamstring) will catch Monday vs. the Braves as he continues his ramp up. Cora said he’s comfortable with Wong beginning the season on the roster, though no decision has been made. The Sox also haven’t made a decision regarding outfielder Raimel Tapia’s status with the club . . . Yu Chang, who arrived this week, will play his first Grapefruit League game Monday. Chang and Dalbec are battling for the backup middle infield role. Chang has no options, while Dalbec has two . . . Kenley Jansen will pitch Monday. He left Friday’s game as he dealt with lightheadedness . . . John Henry, owner of both the Red Sox and Boston Globe Media Partners, was at the game Sunday, as was former Sox righthander Daisuke Matsuzaka.
|
|
|
Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Mar 26, 2023 19:20:01 GMT -5
SPRING TRAINING REPORT Sunday’s Spring Training Report: Outside Rafael Devers, Red Sox offense goes quiet By Julian McWilliams Globe Staff,Updated March 26, 2023, 4:16 p.m.
SCORE: Twins 7, Red Sox 2
RECORD: 14-12-4
BREAKDOWN: The Red Sox couldn’t get much going on the offensive end, tallying just five hits. Rafael Devers appears ready for the season, going 2 for 3 with a solo homer. Kaleb Ort, who is vying for a spot on the roster, has given up five homers this spring, including one Sunday. Chris Sale allowed two runs on five hits in five innings in his final Spring Training start. He struck out three and walked two.
NEXT: The Red Sox travel to North Port for a 1:05 p.m. matchup with the Braves on Monday. Tanner Houck will take the ball.
|
|