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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 16, 2023 5:37:16 GMT -5
Injuries & Moves: Story close to rehab assignment July 15th, 2023 LATEST NEWS
July 15: SS Trevor Story could be within days of rehab assignment Red Sox manager Alex Cora told the media to ask him about the timetable for when Story will start his much-anticipated Minors rehab assignment on either Tuesday or Wednesday, when the Red Sox are in Oakland. Assuming Story doesn't have any hiccups between now and then, expect him to start his assignment within the week. Then, it will be a matter of how long Story will play in the Minors. He gets a maximum of 20 days.
The veteran stated last month that he expected to be playing shortstop for the Red Sox by August. He could have come back slightly early as just a DH, but the Red Sox didn't think that was a good fit for their roster. Story had an internal bracing procedure on his right elbow in January.
INF Pablo Reyes (abdominal strain) Expected return: Mid-July Reyes continued the tear he's been on during his Minor League rehab assignment, smashing a homer as part of a 2-for-3 performance on July 14. He played nine innings in center field for Double-A Portland. Reyes was set to DH on July 15 and play short on July 16, and manager Alex Cora said the club would re-assess his situation from there. The team has a logjam on the bench, particularly in the middle infield.
"That’s the cool thing about having a good team," said Cora. "Not too many tough decisions in 2021 or last year as far as roster spots; now you have better players and Pablo is one of them. But for how tough it is [to make the roster decision], this is a cool thing. It’s good that we have more good players and have to make tough decisions." (Last updated: July 15)
RHP Garrett Whitlock (right elbow inflammation) Expected return: August or September Whitlock hasn't made much progress since the Red Sox placed him on the injured list with a bone bruise in his elbow on July 4. He hasn't been able to play catch yet and won't until the bruise resolves itself. It has been a frustrating season for Whitlock, who is serving his third stint on the injured list. The righty is 4-3 with a 5.23 ERA in 10 starts. (Last updated: July 15)
LHP Richard Bleier (left shoulder inflammation) Expected return: Late July Bleier continued his Minor League rehab assignment coming out of the All-Star break, pitching a scoreless inning in Jacksonville for Triple-A Worcester on July 14. Bleier is scheduled to pitch next on July 16. The lefty turned in a scoreless Minor League rehab outing for Double-A Portland on July 2 and another for Worcester on July 5. (Last updated: July 15)
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 16, 2023 5:56:04 GMT -5
James Paxton has been through the ringer, so one bad start for the Red Sox isn’t going to faze him By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated July 15, 2023, 6:42 p.m.
CHICAGO — James Paxton’s even-keeled demeanor is perfect for his profession. Baseball is a long season and there are always days when the game speeds up and everything goes wrong.
But Paxton’s magnanimity was tested during Saturday afternoon’s 10-4 loss against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The lefthander was perfect the first two innings, striking out three and throwing 22 pitches. Then Paxton allowed six runs in a 41-pitch third inning.
He walked three, hit a batter, and allowed a grand slam by Cody Bellinger.
Nothing was wrong physically. He just pitched poorly.
“Got myself in bad counts and left some balls over the middle of the plate and they did damage,” Paxton said. “Just kind of lost the handle … I just didn’t feel quite right.”
Paxton didn’t run to a laptop for a forensic examination of his outing. That can wait.
“We’ll look at some things in the next couple of days here and see what’s wrong so we can get to work on it,” he said.
As is often the case when the Red Sox lose, poor defense was a factor.
With the bases loaded and no outs, Nico Hoerner grounded a fastball into the hole at shortstop. Kiké Hernández made the stop but bobbled the ball and wasn’t able to get a force at second base.
Prior to the game, manager Alex Cora proclaimed his comfort with Hernández at shortstop.
“I can say with confidence that he turned the page a month ago,” the manager said. “He’s been playing really good shortstop for us for a month now.”
Seiya Suzuki followed with a grounder to third base. Rafael Devers stepped on the bag for an out but his throw to the plate was high and ticked off the mitt of Connor Wong, allowing a run to score.
Devers was assessed an error because the Sox failed to execute the rundown.
Cora thought Wong should have caught the ball and he’s right. But Devers also could have made a more accurate throw, preferably to the front of the plate.
Regardless of who was at fault, had the Sox made that play, Paxton would have been one pitch away from a one-run inning.
Instead he walked Ian Happ on five pitches. Paxton’s second pitch to Bellinger was a high fastball that was smacked over the ivy in right-center for his third home run of the series.
That was essentially the end of a six-game win streak. At least it was a nice summer day for the many road-tripping Red Sox fans at Wrigley.
“[The Cubs] did a good job that inning,” Cora said. “Kept grinding at-bats, fouling off pitches. They made some adjustments and that’s why they did what they did.”
Paxton (5-2) is one of several Bloom Bargains who have paid off this season. The lefty had a 1.93 ERA in his previous seven starts while averaging six innings.
Considering that Paxton was limited to facing two batters in the Florida Complex League over the last two years as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, he’s been one of the surprise cornerstones of a shaky rotation.
Saturday was a rare misstep this season. It was similar to a loss against the Angels in April when Paxton allowed five runs in three innings. He recovered quickly from that one.
“It’s not my first bad game; it won’t be my last,” said Paxton, who won’t pitch again until Friday against the Mets at Fenway Park. “You’re going to have these throughout the season. It’s all about what you do to get back to doing what you want to do out there.
“We all fail at times. It’s more about how you deal with failure than failure itself.”
After meeting with reporters, Paxton sat back down next to Kenley Jansen and talked a bit about his newborn baby daughter.
“He’s a veteran. One bad inning is not an obstacle for him,” Cora said. “He’s been through a lot for four years, it seems like. He’ll be back. Just make adjustments.”
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 16, 2023 5:58:39 GMT -5
RED SOX NOTEBOOK Masataka Yoshida a big hit alongside Ted Williams in Red Sox annals By Alex Speier Globe Staff,Updated July 15, 2023, 7:08 p.m.
CHICAGO — In his first year with the Red Sox, Masataka Yoshida has picked up some initial pieces about the legendary career of Ted Williams.
“I know he recorded over a .400 batting average, and I know there’s a red seat in the right field grandstand [at Fenway Park] where he hit a ball,” Yoshida, who turned 30 on Saturday, said through a translator.
Yet Yoshida has not merely begun to learn about Williams but, in at least one remarkable aspect, started evoking him. The left fielder entered Saturday with eight straight multi-hit games, the longest streak by a lefthanded Red Sox hitter since Williams had an eight-gamer in 1940.
“That’s sick,” manager Alex Cora said of Yoshida’s company.
On Saturday, Yoshida’s streak ended when he went 0-for-4 in the Red Sox’ 10-4 loss to the Cubs. Still, he emerged from the contest with a .313/.378/.484 line, a performance that suggests tremendous consistency in the top half of the lineup.
Yoshida’s performance and results have both amazed his teammates. His ability to attack pitches early in counts, shift completely to a two-strike, opposite-field approach, and make contact on pitches all over — and outside of — the strike zone has been a source of wonder.
“He’s so good, and he’s seeing a lot of these pitchers for the first time,” said outfielder Rob Refsnyder. “His style is a lot different than I’ve ever seen, the way he uses his body. Most of the time guys’ energy is going to first base as a lefthanded hitter, and they don’t have the skill to hit it to left field.
“He does that all the time, where he looks fooled and still has enough body to hit it over the shortstop, then you look at how hard he hits it and it’s 107 [m.p.h.]. It doesn’t make sense for someone who’s 5-foot-8. It’s incredible. I think American guys will be studying his swing for years. … It’s really a pleasure to watch every day.”
As impressive as Yoshida’s performance to date has been, both Cora and Refsnyder suggested his initial few months in the big leagues represent a building block to what could be better results moving forward.
“It’s going to be so scary,” said Refsnyder. “He’s just going to get better and better, hit for more power, more average. You’re not supposed to be doing this [in your first look at the league].” Without Story, Hernández remains SS option
While Trevor Story hasn’t begun a rehab assignment in his return from an offseason brace procedure in his right elbow, he could be just days from doing so. Cora said the Sox may make a determination about the shortstop’s assignment by Tuesday or Wednesday.
Until Story returns, the Red Sox will continue to use a number of players at short. On Saturday, Kiké Hernández was at the position, his eighth start there since June 12 — the last game before Cora declared Hernández would no longer be the team’s everyday shortstop.
Though Hernández has 14 errors at short, he entered Saturday not having committed one since June 12, a span of eight games and 18 chances.
“I can say with confidence we’ve turned that page [on Hernández’s throwing issues] a month ago. He’s been playing really good shortstop for us for a month now,” said Cora. “We’re moving him around but I’m very confident with him playing short. He found a few things he was doing mechanically wise and I think it’s paying off.”
Good position problems to have
Hernández, however, is part of a potential roster crunch the Sox will soon face.
Pablo Reyes went 1 for 4 with an RBI as the designated hitter Saturday night for Double A Portland and plans to play shortstop Sunday for the Sea Dogs. The Sox will reassess his status after the weekend, with the team facing decisions about what to do with a crowded middle infield group that includes Reyes, Hernández, Yu Chang, and Christian Arroyo.
“It’s good that we have more good players [than spots] and have to make tough decisions,” Cora said.
Meanwhile, the Sox are trying to find regular at-bats for four outfielders in Yoshida, Alex Verdugo, Jarren Duran, and Adam Duvall. Refsnyder remains in a well-defined part-time role against lefties.
On Saturday, Duvall sat against Cubs righthander Marcus Stroman.
“Jarren has to play. He has to play,” Cora said.
That said, Cora doesn’t envision using Duran against lefties, meaning he’ll likely sit Sunday against Cubs southpaw Justin Steele. One at a time for Winckowski
Righthander Josh Winckowski, mostly used in a multi-innings role in the season’s first half, threw one clean inning in Friday night’s win. With the Sox bullpen currently featuring five lefties and four righties, Cora wants to keep Winckowski available for more frequent usage than a multi-innings role might permit, and plans to limit him to single-inning stints for at least the next couple of days.
“We’re short on the righties,” Cora said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 16, 2023 6:07:44 GMT -5
Red Sox @ Cubs Sunday, July 16th 2023 2:20pm @ Wrigley Field
Crawford 3-4/ 4.11
Steele 9-2/ 2.56
Cubs, Red Sox have sights set on series win in rubber match FLM
The Chicago Cubs host the Boston Red Sox on Sunday in the rubber match of both teams' first series since the All-Star break.
Following an 8-3 loss on Friday in which five different Boston batters homered, Chicago evened the series on Saturday with a 10-4 romp.
Cody Bellinger hit a third-inning grand slam that gave the Cubs a 6-0 lead. The gap never dipped below five runs the rest of the way.
"He's been more than expected since he's been here," Chicago manager David Ross said of Bellinger. "He's the total package, right? The defense, the clubhouse presence, the at-bat. And the power is showing up."
Bellinger homered twice in Friday's loss and is hitting .476 (20-for-42) in the month of July.
Every Chicago batter connected for at least one hit in Saturday's win. Five drove in runs, led by Bellinger, who had the four RBIs thanks to his eighth career grand slam. Patrick Wisdom drove in two with a fourth-inning home run, and Nico Hoerner, Christopher Morel and Miguel Amaya each had one RBI.
Cubs All-Star left-hander Justin Steele (9-2, 2.56 ERA) looks to pitch Chicago to the series win on Sunday. Steele has won in each of his last three starts in which he earned a decision, though his most recent outing -- a six-inning appearance on July 5 at National League Central rival Milwaukee -- was a no-decision.
Steele gave up three earned runs and nine hits in that contest, a 4-3 Cubs win. Both were the most Steele has allowed since giving up 10 hits and five earned runs on May 26 against Cincinnati.
The appearance against Cincinnati was Steele's most recent loss. Sunday marks Steele's first time facing the Red Sox.
Right-hander Kutter Crawford (3-4, 4.11) will take the mound for Boston for his first career appearance against the Cubs.
Crawford last pitched on July 6, giving up three runs and seven hits over four innings in a no-decision against Texas.
The right-hander has struck out 58 over 61 1/3 innings on the season and recorded two of his three wins in 2023 over his last four starts prior to the All-Star break.
Boston aims to bounce back from its first loss since July 4. The Red Sox had won six straight games prior to Saturday's setback.
"People make a big deal out of one game," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "We'll show up (Sunday) and play good baseball. We just didn't make one play (Saturday), and that was it. We walked two, we hit one guy, we don't make a play, they score six (runs)."
By scoring six runs in the third inning on Saturday, the Cubs matched the most runs scored by an opponent in a single game during Boston's recent winning streak. The 10 total runs Chicago scored were just two fewer than Boston surrendered in its four previous games combined.
Though the Red Sox are five games above .500, Saturday's loss dropped Boston to last place in the American League East.
--Field Level Media
Red Sox at Cubs Sunday, at 2:20 PM EST Partly Cloudy It's expected to be 80° F with a 2% chance of precipitation and 14 MPH wind blowing left to right in Chicago at 2:20 PM EST. Hourly Forecasts: Weather.com
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 16, 2023 9:04:55 GMT -5
Red Sox roster moves: Jake Faria promoted, reliever DFA’d, per sources
Updated: Jul. 16, 2023, 9:38 a.m.|Published: Jul. 16, 2023, 9:30 a.m.
By
Christopher Smith | csmith@masslive.com
CHICAGO — The Red Sox have designated right-handed reliever Tayler Scott for assignment, according to an industry source.
They will select right-handed pitcher Jake Faria onto the 40-man roster from Triple-A Worcester, according to another source. Faria is expected to be active for Sunday’s game against the Cubs.
The 29-year-old Faria posted a 6.47 ERA in 19 outings (nine starts) for Worcester this season. Command has been an issue. He walked 35 and struck out 46 in 55 ⅔ innings.
He has a 4.70 ERA in 72 big league games (29 starts). He last pitched in the majors for the Diamondbacks in 2021. He also has pitched for the Rays (2017-19) and Brewers (2019).
The Red Sox had acquired Scott in a trade with the Dodgers on June 22. Boston sent cash considerations to Los Angeles.
Scott didn’t help his case to stay when he struggled both Friday and Saturday against the Cubs. The Red Sox asked him to pitch the ninth inning while ahead five runs Friday. He allowed three base runners (a walk and two singles), forcing closer Kenley Jansen into the game to record the final out of an 8-3 victory.
Scott then took over for James Paxton in the fourth inning Saturday. He allowed a two-run homer to Patrick Wisdom before recording an out. Boston lost 10-4.
The righty allowed three runs (two earned runs), six hits, one hit by pitch and four walks while striking out two in 3 ⅔ innings (four appearances) for Boston. He served as the opener last Sunday against the A’s.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 16, 2023 10:04:38 GMT -5
Infuriating line up hope like hell that the analytic team is cleaned out when Bloom and his crew are axed.
1. Rob Refsnyder (R) CF 2. Justin Turner (R) 1B 3. Rafael Devers (L) 3B 4. Adam Duvall (R) RF 5. Masataka Yoshida (L) LF 6. Jorge Alfaro (R) DH 7. Christian Arroyo (R) 2B 8. Connor Wong (R) C 9. Yu Chang (R) SS
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 16, 2023 10:17:35 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 2m As @smittyonmlb reported earlier, Sox called up Jake Faria and DFA'd Tayler Scott.
Faria was 3-2 with a 6.47 ERA in 19 appearances for Worcestrer, nine of them starts. He had a 1.64 WHIP and 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 16, 2023 12:23:20 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb · 26m Alex Cora on John Schreiber's timetable: “We want (him) to go back-to-back. ... I think it’s Wednesday-Thursday, he’ll go back-to-back. And then from there, hopefully if everything goes well, maybe at the end of the Mets series. Most likely for the Atlanta series."
Alex Cora said Pablo Reyes will play nine innings today for Portland. “Let’s see how he feels. Probably he needs a few more at-bats during the week and that’s what we’ll do."
“There’s a good chance” the Red Sox will activate Richard Bleier during the Oakland series, Cora said.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 16, 2023 12:24:56 GMT -5
Jen McCaffrey @jcmccaffrey · 22m -Schreiber and Bleier pitch again for Worcester today. Bleier likely joins the team in Oakland but the Red Sox want Schreiber to pitch back-to-back again Wed and Thurs so he likely won't return until the Mets or Braves series -Pablo Reyes needs a few more at-bats so not ready yet
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 16, 2023 12:28:43 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe · 56m A few injury updates: * Bleier could rejoin the roster in Oakland. * Sox want Schreiber to go back-to-back this week. He could return during the next homestand. * Reyes will play again today in AAA. He's also close. * Whitlock not playing catch, so this is now two weeks.
Sox trying to avoid using Pivetta today so he can go 4-5 innings behind an opener on Monday on Tuesday. Same is true for Murphy.
Air quality issues in Chicago today. It's listed as "unhealthy" and apparently will be all day.
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 16, 2023 13:27:44 GMT -5
refsnyder gets picked off
jesus
devers oppo homer
1-0 red sox
1rst
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Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Jul 16, 2023 14:33:02 GMT -5
Yoshida with a grand salami to the RF basket 6-0 Red Sox in the 5th
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Jul 16, 2023 15:33:08 GMT -5
Christopher Smith @smittyonmlb · 26m Alex Cora on John Schreiber's timetable: “We want (him) to go back-to-back. ... I think it’s Wednesday-Thursday, he’ll go back-to-back. And then from there, hopefully if everything goes well, maybe at the end of the Mets series. Most likely for the Atlanta series."
Alex Cora said Pablo Reyes will play nine innings today for Portland. “Let’s see how he feels. Probably he needs a few more at-bats during the week and that’s what we’ll do."
“There’s a good chance” the Red Sox will activate Richard Bleier during the Oakland series, Cora said. I don't like to look more than one series ahead, since rotations change often enough. But if the Mets continue to follow a 5-man rotation, regardless of days off, we could miss both Scherzer & Verlander. And just as importantly, since they have the NYY after us, the NYY could face both those guys. ed-Or maybe I forgot to account for the AS break. Never mind.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Jul 16, 2023 15:39:16 GMT -5
I know we had an 11-0 lead, but even if I were on the mound, the rule is you throw it right down the middle when you have 3 balls. Never, ever walk the guy. Ever.
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Post by scrappyunderdog on Jul 16, 2023 15:40:30 GMT -5
And why is Faria looking behind him at the runner on 2nd? Fear of the guy stealing 3rd?
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