The Red Sox Tuesday, May 4, 2021

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Health has played critical role in hot Red Sox start

Alex Speier

While a tumble in brought the first-place Red Sox back toward the AL East pack, in at least one respect, the team continues to enjoy a runaway advantage.

One underappreciated aspect of the strong start is health. Outside of J.D. Martinez’s one day on the COVID-19 injury list, the team has had just three players on the IL since the start of this season: continues his rehab from his March 2020 surgery, remains in Fort Myers to rehab his injured calf, and Eduardo Rodriguez missed one turn of the rotation due to dead arm at the start of the year.

Entering Monday, the Sox had lost 71 player days to the non-COVID , fifth fewest in the majors.

Sale, of course, was never expected to be ready for the start of the season. Rodriguez missed one start. Only Brasier has required the team to reconfigure its roster for an extended period.

In that regard, the Red Sox are atypical. They and Cleveland are the only teams not to have an injury since that required a placement on the injured list. The other AL East contenders, meanwhile, have been hammered by injuries, contributing to their stumbles of the gate.

The Yankees have had seven players placed on the non-COVID injured list since the start of , including surgeries on Zack Britton (shoulder) and (knee). The Rays have had 10 players land on the injured list since the start of spring training, including starter and relief Nick Anderson.

The Blue Jays, incredibly, have had 15. Key offseason addition (oblique/quad) just made his debut in the past week, ace Hyun Jin Ryu is sidelined with a glute strain, and Kirby Yates (Tommy John) was lost for the season before a regular-season .

While the Sox have had players miss a couple games at a time — Kiké Hernández after getting crumpled by a fence in Texas, after being on the hand by a pitch — the team has remained intact for most of the year, contributing to its first-place standing.

Darwinzon Hernandez hones in

Darwinzon Hernandez represented a key part of the late- equation to start the year, but the lefthander faltered in the role. In eight games spanning seven innings through April 22, he had a 5.14 ERA, with more walks (8) than (7). Opponents swung and missed at 11.3 percent of his pitches.

The 24-year-old then went a week without appearing in a big league game. Since his return on April 29, typically in lower-leverage spots, Hernandez has been overpowering. In his last three games, the lefty has faced 11 batters, allowing no runs on two hits while striking out eight and walking none. He’s thrown 78 percent of his pitches for strikes, with batters whiffing at 31.1 percent.

“During [the week between games] I continued to work on my mechanics and also try to control my emotions,” Hernandez said through translator Bryan Almonte. “We want to improve our control. That’s really what I have been focusing on, really making sure my body is right and not trying to do too much and not speed my delivery up.”

His performance while attacking the has been eye-opening.

“Filth,” said one evaluator.

Meanwhile, righthander was named the AL Reliever of the Month for April. He went 1-0 with six saves, striking out 25 and walking three in 14 innings. He held opponents to a .106/.160/.191 line, dominating thanks to a more aggressive attack on the strike zone than at any other point in his career. Barnes threw 73 percent of his pitches for strikes in April, up from a 62 percent career strike rate entering 2021.

Discomforts of home

The Sox hope to improve their 8-8 home record with a three-game against the MLB-worst Tigers (8- 21). But while the Sox have been mired in mediocrity at Fenway, they’re not alone in failing to claim a home-field advantage. The combined home record of the five AL East teams this year is 33-39, with the Yankees (7-7) .500 in the Bronx, and both the Rays (7-10) and Orioles (4-10) selfless hosts. Ironically, it is the migratory Jays who possess the greatest home advantage in the division, going 7-4 in their temporary residence of Dunedin, Fla. . . . The Red Sox claimed righthanded reliever off waivers from the Mariners and optioned him to A Worcester. The 29-year-old features a low-90s , , and . His changeup has been a wipeout option against righties, who are 3-for-46 with 24 strikeouts against the offering since the start of 2019. He has 54 strikeouts and 29 walks, along with eight homers allowed en route to a 4.45 ERA in 54⅔ big league innings. To open a spot for Brennan on the 40- man roster, the Red Sox moved reliever Ryan Brasier (calf) to the 60-day injured list. Brasier recently started throwing off a mound in Fort Myers. (Sale, already on the 60-day, continues to move closer to that step.)

A big factor in the Red Sox’ success this season: They’re having fun

Peter Abraham

As is often the case with a good idea, it was born of desperation.

The Red Sox were a miserable bunch last season, doomed to finish in last place after the roster was decimated by trades and injuries.

Games were eerily quiet with fans not allowed in the ballpark because of the pandemic. The usual postgame distractions of bars, movies, or dinners together weren’t allowed.

“It was hard to have any fun,” said. “It’s tough when you’re losing no matter what. But we couldn’t even spend time together.”

Jason Varitek, one of the coaches, pulled Plawecki aside and suggested he come up with something to brighten the mood. That led to the home tunnel, the players forming two lines in the to welcome a teammate back after a round-tripper.

That was a start, but something better was needed.

On Sept. 13 at Tampa Bay, Christian Vázquez homered in the first . Prodded by Varitek, Plawecki grabbed a nearby laundry cart and Vázquez went for a ride down the length of the dugout pushed by his teammates.

Almost every hit since then has been celebrated by a ride in a cart. It’s caught on to a point that a custom-made cart should arrive at in time for Tuesday night’s game against the .

“I guess that’s our thing now,” Plawecki said.

Baseball is a six-month grind, eight if you spring training. A little something silly can go a long way, and if a team gets hot, it becomes sacred to the cause.

In 2013, many Red Sox players grew bushy beards and didn’t shave them until after they won the . The veteran players on that team also made it a habit to overdress for road trips, showing up at the park on getaway days wearing custom-made suits. They looked like a bunch of investment bankers.

Camaraderie off the field often translates to success in the standings. If this particular Red Sox team bonds over laundry-cart rides and waving back at the dugout when they get a hit, approves.

“I’m all about it,” he said. “I thought in spring training this was a good group. They like each other.”

The Red Sox are 17-12 and in first place in the East, better than was expected after an offseason of moderately priced additions.

To be sure, that has been a product of good starting pitching, a bounce-back season by J.D. Martinez, and consistent hitting from and . Returning from his suspension, Cora added his energy and equanimity back into the equation.

But laundry carts and clubhouse conversations have played a role.

“I’ll tell you the truth, in spring training everybody was speaking the same language, the same language we were speaking in 2018,” Vazquez said.

“I’m not telling you we’re going to win this year, but we’re going in the right direction. It’s a family here. We play for each other and we have each other’s back. It’s different from last year. It’s fun to come to the ballpark.”

All that fun comes with a little risk. Martinez almost got accidentally dumped out of the cart earlier this season.

“I saved myself; I would have busted my butt,” he said. “It would have been ugly. I think I need a booster seat.”

Martinez is a baseball technician who tends to keep emotion a bat-length away, lest it interfere with his process. But he agrees there’s something to what’s going on with the Sox.

“You have the little things,” he said. “This game’s very stressful and it’s very negative. You’re constantly getting scrutinized by everything. You fail seven out of 10 times and you’re a great player. You have to find ways to have fun and keep everything loose.”

Eduardo Rodriguez suggested that pitchers should get a ride in the cart if they throw a shutout or complete game.

“And when I get my base hit,” said the lefthander, who is 0 for 20 in his career.

Plawecki, meanwhile, has yet to ride in the cart. His one home run last season came before it started, and he has yet to connect this season.

“I feel like I’m due,” he said. “Mostly, I want to hit a home run and help us win a game. But the cart looks like fun.”

Bogaerts, who was a member of the ’13 team, wants to get deeper into the season before making any rash predictions. But he likes the vibe so far.

“We’re definitely enjoying ourselves and enjoying the moment,” Bogaerts said. “Hopefully we can continue this for a long time — for the whole season.”

A closer look at the WooSox’ initial roster, and which prospects to keep an eye on

Alex Speier

Minor League Baseball is back for the first time since 2019, and with it comes the introduction of the Triple A .

“I can’t believe it’s upon us,” WooSox hitting said last week. “I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for two years.”

The team’s inaugural roster features a mix of top prospects and more immediate big-league depth options.

The road to Boston necessarily runs through Worcester this year. Only members of the WooSox can be called up directly to the majors without a five-day quarantine period — something likely to make callups from anywhere but Triple A rare. Of course, such rules only amplify a change that was already underway as a matter of preference in the Red Sox system.

During Dave Dombrowski’s tenure as president of baseball operations, the Red Sox didn’t shy away from summoning top prospects (, Yoan Moncada) directly to the big leagues from A Portland. Current chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom comes from a Rays organization that typically believed in lengthy assignments in Triple A, even for top prospects, as an important finishing step.

Whereas Rafael Devers was brought to the big leagues after just nine Triple-A games in 2017, the Sox now seem intent on giving top prospects more time to marinate in the highest level of the minors. In other words, Worcester likely will be more of a destination than a stopover for the organization’s most talented minor leaguers.

As much as has dazzled the last year, the Sox value the chance for him to face a variety of Triple A pitchers and get repeated looks at them to show the ability to adapt and adjust to competition. Player development, rather than roster necessity, will play a far larger role in dictating when players graduate to the big leagues.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the inaugural Opening Day roster of the Worcester Red Sox as the team prepares for its first game Tuesday in Trenton, N.J., against the Blue Jays’ Triple A affiliate. Members of Boston’s 40-man roster are noted with an asterisk.

Starting pitchers

▪ RHP *, RHP Daniel Gossett, LHP Stephen Gonsalves, LHP , RHP Raynel Espinal.

Injured: RHP * (right elbow inflammation).

Houck, who gets Opening Day honors, is the headliner, both the top prospect and the most likely to be summoned if the Sox need a fill-in starter. He continues to develop his repertoire beyond a sinker, four- seam fastball, and slider, but that pitch mix alone has already been sufficient to allow him to compete two times through the order.

Gossett has the most big league experience of the bunch, making 23 starts for the A’s before he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018. Hart got a couple of big league starts for the Sox last year before a hip injury shut him down.

Seabold’s injury isn’t believed to be serious, but the righthander won’t be a big league consideration for some time. He has never pitched above Double A in the regular season.

Relievers

▪ RHP *, RHP , RHP *, LHP , RHP Kevin McCarthy, RHP Kaleb Ort, LHP , RHP John Screiber, RHP Caleb Simpson, RHP , RHP .

Injured: RHP , RHP .

Bazardo and Brewer are the easiest players to shuttle in and out of the , given that they are on the 40-man roster. McCarthy was extremely impressive in spring training, one of the final cuts.

Beyond this group, if the Sox find the need to reinforce their bullpen, they could certainly turn to starters such as Houck or, if in search of a lefty with velocity, Gonsalves.

Catchers

▪ , , *.

The Sox love Wong’s athleticism behind the plate, and while he has an all-or-nothing offensive approach, he has intriguing power. Bandy and Herrmann offer major league experience as depth options.

Infielders

▪ Jonathan Araúz*, *, Chad De La Guerra, Jeter Downs, Yairo Muñoz, .

Injured: (foot).

Araúz, Muñoz, and Santana offer significant versatility to open plenty of pathways to the big leagues. Chavis had a fantastic spring training and could be summoned to help on the right side.

Downs, ranked the No. 2 prospect in the system based on the projection of a player with an above-average across-the-board skill set and advanced pitch recognition and plate discipline, is still finding his way. The 22-year-old, acquired in the deal, has a chance to assert himself as the of the future, but he has barely played above High A in real games.

“I’m anxious to see what the season brings for him,” said Gedman. “I see some things that are really, really good, and at times I see some things that I’m not sure yet. I’ve been looking for a little more than I’ve seen so far. I think it’s in there.”

Santana is starting a rehab assignment with High A Greenville to start the year, but could be a candidate to join the big league roster this month.

Outfielders

▪ Jarren Duran, Michael Gettys, Tate Matheny, César Puello, Marcus Wilson*.

All eyes in Worcester are on Duran, who has been nothing short of dazzling since remaking his swing in the winter of 2019-20 to add power to his electrifying speed. He has performed at another level than his teammates in intrasquad competition.

“He has been separating, no doubt,” said Gedman. “It’s just a matter of time before we see him playing in the in Boston. I’m not going to project when it’s going to happen.”

Duran was converted from second base in college to the outfield once he was drafted in 2018, and the Sox want him to make strides defensively and refine his approach against advanced competition, but it’s not hard to imagine him forcing his way into the Boston lineup this summer.

* The

Jarren Duran, Jeter Downs among Red Sox’ top prospects to begin 2021 season with WooSox

Steve Hewitt

There will be some exciting young talent on display when the Worcester Red Sox begin their long-awaited inaugural season this week.

Jarren Duran and Jeter Downs are among the Red Sox’ top prospects who, as expected, will begin the season on the WooSox’ Opening Day roster as their 2021 schedule starts on Tuesday night in Trenton, N.J., against the . The 24-year-old Duran, ranked the Red Sox’ No. 5 prospect by , has impressed over the last year while Downs, the No. 2 prospect, is the second youngest player on the WooSox roster at 22 years old.

Tanner Houck, who has a 1.98 ERA in five major-league starts, will be the WooSox’ Opening Night starter. Raynel Espinal, Daniel Gossett, Stephen Gonsalves and Kyle Hart round out the starting rotation to begin the year.

Connor Seabold, a starting pitching prospect who was acquired by the Red Sox in the trade for last season, will begin the season on the injured list with right elbow inflammation.

Other notable members of the WooSox’ Opening Day roster include several players who played for the Red Sox last season. Michael Chavis, who had an impressive spring training but lost a big-league roster spot to Christian Arroyo, will start with the WooSox, as well as Jonathan Arauz, Yairo Munoz and Ryan Weber. Seventeen of the 30 WooSox players have spent time in the majors.

Connor Wong, who was part of the Mookie Betts trade, will be among a trio of with the WooSox.

The WooSox’ home is next Tuesday against the , the first game at the new Polar Park.

Red Sox make claim

Chaim Bloom made a roster move on Monday, claiming right-handed pitcher Brandon Brennan off waivers from the . The 29-year-old reliever started the season at the Mariners’ alternate site and has a 4.45 ERA and .208 opponent average in 49 career major league appearances.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox sent reliever Ryan Brasier to the 60-day injured list. Brasier had been placed on the 10-day injured list at the end of spring training with a left calf strain, but now won’t be eligible to return until June.

Barnes gets nod

Red Sox closer Matt Barnes was voted the American League’s Reliever of the Month on Monday. Barnes had a dominant April, posting a 2.57 ERA and 25:3 -to-walk ratio, allowing just five hits over 14 innings while converting all six of his opportunities.

Red Sox prospects Tanner Houck, Jarren Duran could be needed soon

Jason Mastrodonato

It’s hard to believe Red Sox pitching staff doesn’t have room for Tanner Houck.

Or that the struggling outfield couldn’t benefit from Jarren Duran.

The Red Sox’ hot start has been delightfully surprising as the local nine has surpassed expectations early on. But after losing three of four to the last-place , there were some flaws exposed.

A big one is depth, and while the Red Sox have taken pride in building depth in the organization leading into the 2021 season, they haven’t really used it yet this year.

While other teams around the league have been calling up some of their top prospects — the Royals’ Daniel Lynch, the Rays’ Shane McClanahan and Luis Patino, the Twins’ Alex Kirilloff, among others — the Red Sox have yet to pull the trigger on any of theirs.

And they haven’t really needed to.

Their reasoning for keeping Houck in the minors was to keep him stretched out and preserve depth in the rotation. And it’s certainly worked so far; Nick Pivetta (3-0, 2.81 ERA) would’ve never gotten a chance to shine had he been replaced by Houck to start the year. But as well as Pivetta has pitched, there has to be concern about his command issues (17 walks in 25 2/3 innings) and curiosity if he’ll continue to perform after posting a 5.50 ERA over four seasons with the Phillies.

The question will be how long the Red Sox bullpen will continue this level of dominance.

Sox relievers have a 3.51 ERA, seventh-best in the majors, while their 11 strikeouts per nine innings ranks third. A large part of that success has come from Matt Barnes and , who have been almost unhittable, though each contributed to blowing a lead in Sunday’s 5-3 loss to the Rangers. Lefty Darwinzon Hernandez is starting to look like a reliable back-end arm, too. has been inconsistent, but the bullpen has mostly been exceptional.

At some point soon, Houck will make his debut for Triple-A Worcester, which starts its season on Tuesday. The Red Sox will hope his confidence hasn’t wavered after getting demoted twice, despite dominating major league competition, and that his performance doesn’t suffer while the team continues to ask him to throw more of his third pitch, a splitter, despite looking like an elite starter with just two pitches, a fastball and slider.

But it’s hard to fault the Sox for keeping Houck stretched out in Worcester right now, particularly after top pitching prospect Bryan Mata went down with Tommy John surgery. As much as Houck could help them right now, in any role, the team’s success from the mound has justified the decision to continue to delay Houck’s status as a big-leaguer.

The outfield is another story.

The struggles of and , along with at first base, have made the Red Sox one of the worst teams in baseball from the bottom of the order.

Ranked by OPS, they’re 30th from the No. 7 spot (.462), 13th from the No. 8 spot (.634) and 27th from the No. 9 spot (.445), which is particularly alarming considering most teams are using a pitcher in the No. 9 spot.

Because they’re short on options or have more belief in Renfroe than most teams would, Renfroe continues to get playing time against right-handed pitching. He’s struggled against righties for the majority of his career, with a drastic difference in his splits vs. right-handers (.214 average/.706 OPS) compared to vs. left- handers (.256/.903).

He’s supposed to be platooning with Cordero, but has nearly double the plate appearances vs. righties, who he’s hit just .178 with a .471 OPS against.

Cordero has been a disaster on all sides of the ball. After coming over from the Royals in the Andrew Benintendi trade, he had a late start due to COVID-19 and the lack of playing time in spring training has been clear (.158 average, .406 OPS).

With Kiké Hernandez (.231/.671) and Marwin Gonzalez (.189/.598) are also struggling at the plate, the Red Sox have used a lot more of Christian Arroyo (.302/.766) at second base than they planned on.

That’s where the inclusion of Duran could make things really interesting. Duran hits left-handed but has actually pummeled lefties more than righties in his minor league career thus far. The Sox view him as an everyday when he’s ready, and after listening to the glowing reviews from Worcester hitting coach Rich Gedman this week, it sounds like he’s ready.

It’s hard to imagine Duran will spend too much time in Worcester, which means it could be make or break time for Cordero and/or Renfroe.

The Red Sox have largely covered up their holes because of outstanding performance from the top-heavy part of their roster. J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and have carried the offense.

It’s just a matter of time before those holes are exposed and reinforcements from the minor leagues are given a chance to play.

* MassLive.com

Boston Red Sox roster moves: Reliever Brandon Brennan added off waivers from Seattle; Ryan Brasier placed on 60-day injured list

Chris Cotillo

The Red Sox made a minor move Monday afternoon, claiming reliever Brandon Brennan from the Mariners and optioning him to Triple-A Worcester. To make room for Brennan on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox placed reliever Ryan Brasier (left calf strain) on the 60-day injured list.

Brennan, who turns 30 in July, has appeared in the majors for the Mariners in each of the last two seasons, posting a 4.45 ERA and striking out 54 batters in 54 ⅔ relief innings. A former fourth-round pick of the White Sox in 2018, Brennan joined the Mariners via the 2018 and then spent the entire 2019 season in the majors, demonstrating intriguing swing-and-miss stuff while relying on a changeup that is considered well above average. In 2020, he was limited to just five appearances due to an oblique strain.

Brennan was at the Mariners’ alternate training site to start the season and will provide bullpen depth for the Red Sox at Worcester. He’ll join Eduard Bazardo and Colten Brewer as Triple-A options on the 40-man roster and could be promoted if a big-leaguer struggles or suffers an injury.

Brasier has dealt with two significant injured since the end of last season, as he fractured his pinky finger during an off-season workout and then strained his calf during a “B” game during the last week of spring training. Pitching coach said recently that Brasier had started a throwing program but noted he was still a ways away from joining the Red Sox. He won’t be eligible to be activated until May 28 after originally being placed on the IL on March 29.

“He still has a little ways to go,” Bush said on April 25. “He’s in Florida. He is throwing. I don’t believe he’s throwing in any game situations yet, but he is throwing and working back physically. I don’t know exactly what he’s doing today. But he has been starting a limited running program and he’s been throwing quite a bit. So I’m hoping he gets back on the mound soon and then finishes up his buildup. I don’t have a finish date for him quite yet but he’s on the right path.”

Worcester Red Sox announce Opening Day roster: Jarren Duran, Jeter Downs, Tanner Houck, Michael Chavis headline inaugural 30-man group

Chris Cotillo

The Worcester Red Sox announced their inaugural Opening Day roster Monday afternoon, revealing the 30 players who will be with the club for its first ever game Tuesday in Trenton, .

Headlining the WooSox roster are two of the top three prospects in the Red Sox’ system-- Jeter Downs (No. 2) and outfielder Jarren Duran (No. 3) -- as well as right-hander Tanner Houck (No. 6), who will start Tuesday’s opener in Trenton. Also on the roster are prospects Connor Wong (No. 16) and Eduard Bazardo (No. 27); pitching prospect Connor Seabold (No. 14) will begin the year on the injured list with right elbow inflammation.

Eight of the 34 players the WooSox will carry between their 28-man roster, two-man taxi squad and four- man injured list are members of the Red Sox’ 40-man roster (Bazardo, Colten Brewer, Houck, Seabold, Wong, Jonathan Araúz, Michael Chavis and Marcus Wilson). Chavis, Brewer and reliever Marcus Walden are among the 12 players in the group who previously played for the Red Sox.

Infielder/outfielder Danny Santana is on the WooSox’ injured list but is starting the year on a rehab assignment at High-A Greenville after suffering a foot infection late in spring training.

The WooSox currently have 30 players listed on their Opening Day roster. The club still must identify the players who will be considered members of the Taxi Squad and therefore inactive in order to get to the roster limit of 28 active players by tomorrow. Those inactive players can change on a daily basis.

WORCESTER RED SOX ROSTER:

PITCHERS (16): RHP Eduard Bazardo, RHP Seth Blair, RHP Colten Brewer, RHP Raynel Espinal, LHP Stephen Gonsalves, RHP Daniel Gossett, LHP Matt Hall, LHP Kyle Hart, RHP Tanner Houck, RHP Kevin McCarthy, RHP Kaleb Ort, LHP Bobby Poyner, RHP John Schreiber, RHP Caleb Simpson, RHP Marcus Walden, RHP Ryan Weber

CATCHERS (3): C Jett Bandy, C Chris Herrmann, C Connor Wong

INFIELDERS (6): 2B/SS Jonathan Araúz, 1B/2B Michael Chavis, 2B Chad De La Guerra, 2B/SS Jeter Downs, INF/OF Yairo Muñoz, 1B Josh Ockimey

OUTFIELDERS (5): OF Jarren Duran, OF Michael Gettys, OF Tate Matheny, OF Cesar Puello, OF Marcus Wilson

INJURED LIST (4): RHP Matt Carasiti (recovering from Tommy John surgery), RHP Zac Grotz (right flexor strain), RHP Connor Seabold (right elbow inflammation), INF/OF Danny Santana (foot infection)

Boston Red Sox prospect ‘was around some of the best hitters in the major leagues and fit in’; Gilberto Jiménez a ‘throwback’ hitter

Christopher Smith

Red Sox assistant hitting coach used three words to describe 20-year-old outfield prospect Gilberto Jiménez.

“Throwback, relentless and athleticism,” Fatse said.

Throwback?

“I say throwback because he has a more contact-orientated approach,” Fatse explained. “In an era where strikeouts are going up, to see a guy come in and that’s his priority, it’s exciting. I think he could be really special with the more baseball he plays.”

Jiménez and Nick Yorke, another pure hitter, both will begin the 2021 season together at Low-A Salem, which plays its first game today (Tuesday) at Delmarva. Teams across begin their regular seasons Tuesday.

Baseball America ranks Jiménez the Red Sox’s No. 7 prospect. It also listed him the system’s top athlete and top outfield arm.

Jiménez was listed at 5-foot-11, 160 pounds in the 2020 Red Sox media guide He’s listed at 5-11, 221 pounds in the 2021 media guide.

He put on productive, good weight during the coronavirus shutdown last summer. He’s stronger. He has gap power and still has the same speed despite being bigger.

“He is going to be a tough out,” Fatse said. “It was really impressive to see a young guy come up to big league camp and he was staying on heaters, staying on offspeed. He was just a really tough at-bat. For a 20- year-old kid, he was relentless. And when you see a young guy who has tools but is relentless, those are guys that with the more time and more pitches they see, they’re going to become really hard outs.”

Boston turned Jiménez into a switch-hitter after signing him out of the Dominican Republic for just $10,000 in 2017. He batted .359 (84-for-234) with a .393 on-base percentage, .470 , .863 OPS, 11 doubles, three home runs, three triples, 19 RBIs, 35 runs and 14 stolen bases in 59 games during 2019 at Short Season Lowell.

Baseball America ranks Yorke, a right-handed hitter, Boston’s No. 9 prospect. The Red Sox selected him in the first round (17th overall) in the 2020 MLB Draft.

Yorke turned 19 on April 2. He will play in his first professional game (likely today) after spending some time at the alternate training site last summer and participating in big league spring training camp. MLB Pipeline has Yorke listed as one of its Top 10 second base prospects.

“Yorke was a treat, man,” Fatse said. “That kid is well beyond his years when it comes to his ability to work and know what he wants to accomplish. He was around some of the best hitters in the major leagues and he fit in. He was great. Obviously everyone wants to make contact, but he takes pride in being direct. He takes pride on being on time for heaters. The benchmarks that establish really good players, he takes a lot of pride in those things. He likes to hit the ball low trajectory the other way in BP. Doesn’t like to get too big. Same thing with .”

Casas, Boston’s No. 1 prospect, will begin the season at Double-A Portland. He turned 21 in January has the potential to hit for power and reach base at a high rate.

“They take a lot of pride in being really good hitters,” Fatse said. “I think that’s really what you want with a lot of those young guys, especially because as they come into their own, they are going to learn how and when to take different shots on different pitches. As their approaches are refined, they are going to hit homers by accident. I guess you could say a lot of those guys tend to come into their power later, or as they play. That’s great. We want guys who are competitive in the strike zone and obviously let the power develop.”

Connor Seabold, Boston Red Sox pitching prospect, placed on IL with elbow inflammation: ‘Minor soreness,’ Chaim Bloom says

Chris Cotillo

Red Sox pitching prospect Connor Seabold has been placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation, the WooSox announced Monday. Worcester starts its inaugural season Tuesday in Worcester and released its Opening Day roster Monday afternoon.

Seabold, who is ranked by MLB.com as the No. 14 prospect in the system and is considered close to be major-league ready, was placed on the IL for precautionary reasons, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said via text.

“Connor is dealing with some minor elbow soreness,” Bloom said. “It’s a long season and so we’d rather address this now rather than try to push through it. He’s on a gradual progression back to full strength.”

Seabold, 25, was acquired along with Nick Pivetta in the August trade that sent and to the Phillies. Seabold was expected to be part of Worcester’s Opening Day rotation but instead will have his entry into game action delayed; Tanner Houck, Daniel Gossett, Stephen Gonsalves, Kyle Hart, and Raynel Espinal will start the year as Worcester’s starting five.

Seabold is the second major Red Sox rotation prospect to deal with an arm injury this season. Bryan Mata, who entered the year as the consensus top pitching prospect in the system, underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-April.

On April 19, Seabold tossed six scoreless innings in an intrasquad game at Polar Park, striking out five batters while throwing 86 pitches. After the outing, he said he was pleased with the development of his slider,

“I really like my slider right now,” Seabold added. “I think I get in a habit of using it too much and that’s where the hard contact comes from. But it’s very versatile. I feel like I can flip it in for a get-me-over strike. I can use it as a strikeout pitch. I can backdoor it. It’s a good pitch for me when I’m behind in the count. I really like my slider. I think my slider doesn’t get enough love if I’m being completely honest. But that’s just me.”

* The Worcester Telegram

Finally, game day! Worcester Red Sox set for Triple-A debut vs. Buffalo Bisons in New Jersey

Joe McDonald

TRENTON, N.J. — Play ball!

It has finally arrived. The Worcester Red Sox begin their much-anticipated inaugural season at 7 p.m. Tuesday against the Buffalo Bisons, a affiliate, at Ballpark.

The Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox haven’t played a game since Sept. 2, 2019. The 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19, and it also delayed the start of the 2021 season by one month.

There’s a lot to be excited about. Not only will the WooSox play in a new, state-of-the-art facility at Polar Park, but the roster will include high-end prospects, and the team has the potential to be successful.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is attempting to rebuild the organizational depth at each level, including Worcester.

“We want every club to be full of prospects and every club to play winning baseball,” Bloom said. “Every time we take the field we want to win and we want to do it with players who will be able to impact the Red Sox. That’s what this is all about.”

After the six-game road trip against the Bisons, the WooSox will return home to christen Polar Park on May 11.

Since the capacity limit is 25% in , a total of 2,377 will be allowed to enjoy opening ceremonies, which begin at 2 p.m., with the historical first pitch at 3:05.

“It’s even more special to think about the possibility of (building a winning culture) with opening a new ballpark in a city that we know is going to embrace affiliated baseball that’s right in the heart of . What more could you ask for?” Bloom said.

Before WooSox get to enjoy their new digs, the team begins the season on the road.

Due to the continued restrictions and guidelines in order to keep everyone during this global pandemic, has created unique mechanisms this season for the minors.

Triple-A rosters will be set at 28 active players this season, including another five-man taxi squad. So, a total of 33 players will be available. Also unique this season, only a player from Triple-A can be called up to the big leagues due to safety and health reasons.

Something new for Triple-A this season is the taxi squad. Teams are allowed to carry extra players who can be shifted onto the active roster on a nightly basis, similar to MLB’s taxi squad. Those extra players will remain in Worcester.

Pitching prospect Tanner Houck will be the WooSox’ opening day starter. The right-hander is 0-2 with a 4.35 ERA in two starts for the Red Sox this season, but he’s been honing his skills at the alternate site in Worcester.

The 24-year-old is considered one of the best prospects in the game and he proved that last season with a 3- 0 record, a 0.53 ERA, 9 walks and 21 strikeouts during his major league debut with the Red Sox.

Until his services are needed in Boston, he’ll be the ace of the staff in Worcester. Joining Houck in WooSox rotation will be right-handers Raynel Espinal and Daniel Gossett, along with left-handers Stephen Gonsalves and Kyle Hart.

Right-handed prospect Connor Seabold is dealing with inflammation in his throwing elbow, but it’s not considered serious at this point.

There have been plenty of internal conversations about a possible lineup for manager Billy McMillon. He has plenty of options and different scenarios to work with this season.

Leading off for the WooSox on a consistent basis will be outfield prospect Jarren Duran. There’s a lot to like about his game and determination and it’s going to be interesting to see how he continues to develop at the Triple-A level.

He’ll be followed by some major league experience, including infielder Jonathan Arauz and infielder/outfielder Michael Chavis. Outfielder Michael Gettys, catcher Connor Wong, infielder Jeter Downs will provide other impactful at-bats for the WooSox.

The goal is to keep the as close to consistent every game for McMillon. The top of the order should remain straight forward.

The Red Sox did send infielder Jack Lopez to Double-A Portland, and catcher Austin Rei has been released. The WooSox added outfielder Tate Matheny to the active roster.

Here is the roster to start the 2021 season.

Pitchers: Eduard Bazardo, Seth Blair, Colten Brewer, Matt Carasiti (injured list), Espinal, Gonsalves, Gossett, Zac Grotz (IL), Matt Hall, Hart, Houck, Kevin McCarthy, Kaleb Ort, Bobby Poyner, John Schreiber, Seabold (IL), Caleb Simpson, Marcus Walden and Ryan Weber.

Cathers: Jett Bandy, Chris Herrman and Wong.

Infielders: Arauz, Chavis, Chad De La Guerra, Downs, Yairo Munoz, Josh Ockimey and Danny Santana (IL).

Outfielders: Duran, Gettys, Matheny, Cesar Puello and Marcus Wilson.

Since the majority of these players haven’t played in a game in a year and a half, the adrenaline and nerves will be flowing.

“It’s only normal,” Downs said. “Even if it was just a regular first game of a season, everybody gets nervous. Those nerves just show that you care. You’ll have butterflies but it should be fun.”

It’s go time.

* The Portland Press Herald

Anemic offenses are the rule in baseball this season

Tom Caron

The Boston Red Sox entered May with the best record in baseball. Even those of us who thought this team would be competitive didn’t expect them to be the best team in baseball.

Two days into May, we’ve been reminded that there is a lot of baseball still to play. The Red Sox dropped to 0-2 for the month after drove in the game-winning run off Matt Barnes in the eighth inning Sunday afternoon.

Brock Holt? As legendary Boston sports anchor Bob Lobel used to say, “Why can’t we get guys like that?”

Sunday’s game was a reminder of all the things we worried about coming into the season. The couldn’t go deep enough. The bullpen couldn’t hold a lead. And the bottom of the order couldn’t produce.

Boston’s No. 7 through 9 hitters went 2 for 10 on Sunday, stranding five hitters in the process. That continued a concerning trend of anemic offense from the bottom third of the lineup. They haven’t been hitting, and they’ve been striking out at a staggering rate.

Boston’s OPS from its No. 6 through 9 hitters is in the lower third of baseball. It’s been covered up by outstanding production from the top five hitters, but was exposed in Texas. Saturday night, the Sox went 4 for 13 with runners in in an 8-6 loss to the Rangers. The bottom three spots in the lineup went 2 for 13 with six strikeouts. They left 11 runners on base in the loss.

There were swings and misses galore. Something we’ve seen across the game through the first month of the season. Major League teams are on pace to strike out a record of times. That would mark the 13th consecutive year a new strikeout record has been set.

The major league batting average is the lowest it has been since 1968, when there was enough of a lack of offense that mounds were lowered.

“As a baseball fan, as I’ve told you guys before, it’s not fun,” said Red Sox Manager Alex Cora. “You sit there and you see walks and strikeouts and there’s no action. Not too many balls are put in play.”

You could make the argument that the Red Sox have been able to use all of this to their advantage. Red Sox pitchers have struck out the second most hitters in the American League. But they are paying the price at the plate.

Franchy Cordero has struck out a stunning 41.9% of the times he has stepped up to the plate this season. That’s nearly twice as often as the league average. Bobby Dalbec, who wowed us with eight home runs in 23 games last season, has struck out 38.7% of the time since his August call-up.

Both have undeniable power, and can impact the game with one swing of the bat. Yet both swing and miss far too often. And with pitchers throwing harder, and with better stuff than ever before, it’s going to be difficult to get those numbers moving in the right direction.

“There’s no 87, 88 (mph) anymore,” said Cora. “The last guy on a staff either has a nasty secondary pitch or a plus fastball. The ball is doing stuff that I’ve never seen before – upshoot and cutters that are actually upshooting now. It’s a grind for hitters. It’s not easy. I think pitchers are ahead. Way ahead.”

The industry hasn’t helped the hitters’ cause. Major League Baseball deadened the this season, hoping to keep more balls in play and create more action. Instead, the game is just seeing fewer hits, and fewer runs.

Baseball has always been a game of adjustments. Hitters are trying to adjust to this new pitcher-friendly reality. For now, they are failing. At a record-setting rate.

They’re finally back: Sea Dogs ready for season opener on Tuesday

Glenn Jordan

A soft liner off the bat of Jarren Duran disappeared into the glove of Fisher Cats Cullen Large on Labor Day of 2019, giving visiting New Hampshire an 8-7 victory in 10 innings over the .

Ever since, Hadlock Field has been without .

SEASON OPENER WHO: New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TBD) at Portland Sea Dogs (Andrew Politi)

WHEN: 6 p.m. Tuesday

A drought of 610 days is scheduled to end Tuesday night when those same Fisher Cats return to Portland for Opening Day of the Double-A Northeast, a 12-team league that replaces the nearly century-old Eastern League.

On Monday afternoon, the familiar sounds were back: baseballs thumping into mitts, fungo bats slapping grounders and pop flies, chatter flowing like birdsong, in Spanish and English. Resplendent in red jerseys and clean white pants, 28 young men frolicked about the emerald grass and khaki-colored dirt of Hadlock in their first workout in Maine as members of the 2021 Sea Dogs.

“Being back in the ballpark, being back in the clubhouse with all the guys, getting the unis on, everybody’s buzzing,” said Thad Ward, Friday’s scheduled starting pitcher, who spent much of last year working out at home instead of playing ball. “Team chemistry is great. We’re all really looking forward to it.”

Ward grew up in Fort Myers, Florida, rooting for the Red Sox. At age 10, he even served as a bat boy for a memorable spring training game. A fellow Floridian, Triston Casas, is a slugging heralded as the top prospect in Boston’s minor-league system.

“My first impression of the park is that it’s beautiful,” Casas said. “Getting to take ground balls on that surface is really nice … and I’ve got a couple targets in right field to aim for come game time.”

Corey Wimberly, first-year manager of the Sea Dogs, put the team through a lively workout Monday that included outfielders learning to play balls off the wall, infielders plucking grounders and pitchers covering first base. He also included a few moments of fun, such as when he asked a few players to show off how they might greet him (as third base coach) during a home run trot.

“I just like to be prepared,” Wimberly said with a smile. “We’ve got some boppers on our team, guys who can possibly hit a lot of home runs.”

No one surpassed the flourish of outfielder Jeisson Rosario, who spread his arms as if before launching into a cartwheel and backflip after rounding third.

“He’s pretty athletic,” Wimberly said. “Hopefully that’s the last time he does that, though. Scary.”

As for the ballpark itself, the familiar red-white-and-blue bunting will lend an air of pageantry to the occasion. Efforts to limit the spread of coronavirus include new plexiglass barriers around the dugouts and visiting bullpen, meaning player-fan interaction will be infrequent, if not impossible.

“Getting that fan interaction pre-game, getting to sign autographs, getting to talk to the fans, engage with them a little bit, I feel like that’s a part of the game I’m going to miss for a little while,” Casas said. “Hopefully it’s not too much longer.”

Slugger, the Sea Dogs mischievous mascot, will steer clear of the playing field. The same holds true for fans involved in between-innings promotions and nearly everyone other than players, coaches and umpires.

Thousands of seats are closed up with plastic zip ties to ensure six-foot social distancing between pods that range from one to eight in capacity. Fans will be required to wear masks, both to enter the ballpark and at all times except when actively eating or drinking.

As for concessions, prices haven’t changed but procurement has. Fans can order food, drink or souvenirs from their smart phones (or roving concessionaires carrying tablet computers) and have the goods delivered to their seats. Offerings are available on the team website.

The mask mandate is per order of Major League Baseball, while eliminating lines at concession stands comes from the state. To comply with potential requests, the Sea Dogs are staffing Opening Day as if it were a mid-summer sellout, even though only 2,087 seats are currently available for games this month.

More of the park’s 7,368-seat capacity could be available in coming months, should vaccinated sections or a reduction in the six-foot distancing requirements come into play. Tickets for all games in May remain available. June tickets have yet to be put on sale.

* RedSox.com

Barnes, Melancon named April's top relievers

Thomas Harrigan

Red Sox right-hander Matt Barnes and Padres right-hander Mark Melancon have been named MLB’s Relievers of the Month for April.

Barnes won AL honors after recording a 2.57 ERA with 25 strikeouts, three walks and only five hits allowed in 14 innings. Barnes struck out at least one batter in each of his 13 appearances and went 6-for-6 in save chances for Boston.

Barnes became the seventh pitcher in MLB history to record at least 25 strikeouts while permitting no more than five hits or three walks in a calendar month, joining Chad Green (September 2019), Corey Knebel (September 2018), Craig Kimbrel (May 2017), Michael Feliz (May 2016), Robb Nen (July 2000) and Armando Benitez (August 2000).

Melancon, meanwhile, converted all nine of his save chances for the Padres in April and finished the month with a 0.69 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 13 innings, receiving NL honors for his efforts. The veteran righty yielded just four hits and one walk, holding hitters to a .095 average and a .116 on-base percentage.

Others receiving votes for the AL Reliever of the Month Award included the Indians’ Emmanuel Clase and , the Royals’ Josh Staumont, the Mariners’ , the Yankees’ Aroldis Chapman and the Orioles’ César Valdez.

The Pirates’ Richard Rodríguez, the Brewers’ J.P. Feyereisen and Josh Hader, the Reds’ Tejay Antone and the Cubs' Kimbrel received votes for the NL Reliever of the Month Award.

* WEEI.com

The 5 WooSox players that might mean the most to the 2021 Red Sox

Rob Bradford

After more than a month of separating themselves from the Red Sox' major league team, the players on the Worcester Red Sox are finally playing actual games that count.

Tonight in Trenton, we are introduced to the next wave of Triple-A options for the Red Sox.

It's no leap of faith to suggest a chunk of Worcester's roster will find its way onto the major-league team at some point in 2021. But there is a big difference between swinging on through and actually becoming a long-term solution.

Here are five players on the WooSox who should be put under the microscope more than most thanks to what they potentially represent for the first-place Red Sox ...

1. JARREN DURAN, OF

This is obvious considering how highly-touted Duran has kept himself over the past few years, with his standout spring training delivering the latest bit of optimism. More than a few believe he is an answer to one of the Red Sox' current problems -- a left-handed-hitting left-fielder who can bolster bottom of the batting order. But ... patience. The good news is that other than a month-long downturn when first called up to Double-A Portland, Duran hasn't stopped taking steps forward throughout his professional career. The expectation is that that isn't going to stop.

2. TANNER HOUCK, P

As we sit here, the Red Sox' starting rotation isn't an issue. That has allowed Houck to continue his development somewhere that doesn't have a third deck of stands. But what Houck represents when the time comes to fill in somewhere in the rotation (and that will happen) is an option that doesn't make the Red Sox take out of his very important bullpen role, or flirt with the idea of making Garrett Whitlock a starter when his existence fits just fine as is. Somebody else from the WooSox rotation -- Raynel Espinel, Daniel Gossett, Stephen Gonsalves, and Kyle Hart -- could emerge. But right now the next legitimate starting option for the Sox is Houck and then everyone else.

3. MICHAEL CHAVIS, INF

It will be interesting to see if Chavis' red-hot spring training carries over month after everyone left Fort Myers. If he does continue the progression seen in the Grapefruit League the only question will be where and when. Where will he play in the majors, and how quickly will the Red Sox deem his services are needed. Perhaps the most viable path for Chavis is at first base, serving as a fail-safe for Bobby Dalbec if things get too uncomfortable for . As for replacing Franchy Cordero, that doesn't seem likely because of Chavis' inexperience in the outfield and the Red Sox would most likely be looking for someone who could hit from the left side. For that spot, the favorite would be rehabbing Danny Santana, with Yairo Munoz serving as another option. Neither, however, are currently on the 40-man roster.

4. CONNOR WONG, C

No player took perhaps a bigger jump in the eyes of the major league staff than this catcher, who came over in the Mookie Betts trade. Along with hitting one of the most impressive homers in all of spring training, the athletic backstop impressed in all areas of the game, leaving the organization believing Wong will be a legitimate everyday option. Obviously, the Red Sox seem set at the position for this year and next with Christian Vazquez, but, judging by the last time we saw Wong, this is a player that might not be able to be held down for long.

5. JETER DOWNS, INF

There is no logical fit for Downs on the major-league roster, but he does seem to represent a significant piece of the lineup's future. The interesting part of his existence during spring training was that the Red Sox exclusively played him at . It was notable because many -- including his Triple-A manager Billy McMillon -- surmised at the end of last season that Downs' landing spot would be second base, a position that certainly isn't as cemented the place Xander Bogaerts currently calls home. If Downs does take off in Worcester, he could be considered as Option 1 to fill in at shortstop if anything happened to the current starter. It would also add to a conversation that will be had regarding Bogaerts' decision whether or not to opt-out of his current contract after 2022.

Some others ...

CONNOR SEABOLD, SP: He will be delayed due to a sore elbow, but may slot in right behind Houck as the top of the list or starting depth.

EDUARD BAZARDO, RP: After Bazardo got a taste of the majors in Minnesota, Red Sox manager Alex Cora definitely said we would see him in the bigs again in 2021.

MARCUS WALDEN, RP: When spring training broke, the key member of the 2018 and '19 clubs looked like his old self. That could be an important development for a somewhat developing Red Sox' bullpen.

KEVIN MCCARTHY, RP: Big-league experience. Solid introduction to the Red Sox organization. Seems like a down-the-road solution to the inevitable relief-pitching problems.

JONATHAN ARAUZ, INF: Last year's Rule 5 pick is a major-league player who plays with a ton of confidence, is well above-average defensively and can man multiple positions. For a Red Sox team built on versatility, Arauz represents a great fit going forward.

Will Middlebrooks reminds us that making a major league debut at Fenway Park is cool

Rob Bradford

It was almost exactly nine years ago -- May 2, 2012 -- that became a major-leaguer.

But while it's one thing to live out the dream of making your big-league debut, it's a completely different story when you get to do in front of 37,434 fans at Fenway Park.

"I think I walked in my first at-bat because I couldn't swing," said Middlebrooks in the latest episode of the City of Boston Credit Union's "Uniquely Boston" series. "I couldn't swing the bat because I was so in awe of everything around me.

"It was a full house. Fenway isn't the biggest in terms of how much capacity is but (before) you're playing down at McCoy (Stadium) where there is 10,000 max, probably 8,000. Just that. The smells. The sounds. Everything is burned in from my soul from that night. I can tell you probably every pitch from that game.

"Just being able to experience it with my family. I honestly felt nervous at first but then I felt prepared. I felt so locked in. I had put so much work in. I went through the whole rookie program the year before and that was a really good thing for me. Small-town kid, it was a culture shock for me."

Hitting eighth that night against the A's, Middlebrooks went 2-for-3 with a walk and . He would go on to total a .288 batting average and .835 OPS with 15 home runs in just 75 games that rookie season.

In case you missed it, Andrew Benintendi is on fire

Rob Bradford

This was not a good week for those suggesting the Red Sox will win the Andrew Benintendi trade.

While there is an anticipation surrounding pitcher Josh Winckowski's debut with Double-A Portland in the coming days, it's hard to look past what Franchy Cordero has been for the big-league club. In case you haven't been paying attention, the outfielder is one for his last 32 with 15 strikeouts.

Meanwhile, in Kansas City ...

After the slowest of slow starts with his new team, Benintendi has been one of the best hitters in the major leaguers since April 21. During the nine-game stretch, the has hit .419 with a 1.228 OPS, nine runs and three home runs.

It is the second-best batting average in baseball over that time in, and sixth-best OPS.

So, what has changed?

Benintendi altered his stance a bit, closing his front leg as to not pull off pitches. The Royals also dropped him the batting order after initially hitting him in the No. 2 spot. His surge has come primarily while hitting seventh, with residence in the No. 5 spot the last few games.

"It’s just pretty obvious when you watch the progression of the swing," Royals manager told reporters. "We watch so many swings from our angle that you can start to feel when the timing looks right."

"There will be times when I go up to the plate with no approach, really, and I’ll just be swinging at everything,” Benintendi said.” I think the last week and a half I’ve stuck more to it, had a more obvious plan when I stepped in the box. I don’t want to say it makes it easier, but it gives you more of a chance to be successful up there.”

* NBC Sports Boston

What to take from the Red Sox' recent stretch of inconsistency

John Tomase

We're about to find out what the Red Sox really are. They're neither as bad as their 0-3 start nor as good as the 9-0 follow-up, though the latter at least bought them time.

What they are at the moment is a team that consistently fights and pitches pretty well, but is beginning to spring leaks in the lineup and bullpen. Some of those problems will resolve themselves. Others will require minor league reinforcements or forays into the trade market.

On Sunday, the Red Sox lost a series for the first time since being swept by the Orioles to open the season. They blew a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning and dropped a 5-3 decision to the Rangers, who took three of four in Texas.

Since opening 9-3, the Red Sox have gone a pedestrian 8-9, allowing the Blue Jays and Yankees (gulp) to pull within 1.5 and 2.5 games of first, respectively, in the .

Monday's off day will let them their breath before opening a three-game set at Fenway Park against the woeful Tigers. That makes now a good time to examine some early-season issues and determine who's trending up or down.

Trending up:

Fans were ready to send Richards home on a surfboard after a dismal 0-2, 6.48 start. The problem wasn't only the results, which were terrible, but Richards' reaction to them, which was to blithely note he got beat by the shift after giving up six runs in just two innings vs. the Orioles or complaining about the cold a couple of starts later.

Richards didn't enter his 11th season with a lifetime 3.60 ERA because he stinks, though. The Red Sox revamped his delivery, eliminating some cross-body action that was causing his arm to lag behind his legs, and the last two starts have been excellent.

He limited the Mets to one run over seven innings with 10 strikeouts last week before striking out seven more over five one-run innings on Sunday.

After being unable to command his fastball or slider, Richards is now spotting both alongside a hammer that he didn't really have vs. the Rangers.

"It was a good outing, not obviously the best one," Richards said. "Nobody really wants to go five and dive. I was looking to go a little bit deeper in the game, but they fought off a lot of pitches. A nice little building block outing. The last one was good. This one was decent. We're moving in the right direction and there's still work to be done, but I'm starting to feel some familiar stuff of when I'm going good."

Trending down: Franchy Cordero

His time in the big leagues should be winding to at least a temporary close. The minor league season kicks off this week, and there's absolutely no reason to keep Cordero here when he should be working on his swing in Worcester.

Sunday's game ended with Cordero flying out to left, which felt like a victory simply because it wasn't a strikeout. Cordero went 0 for 3 with a sacrifice and saw his average fall to .158. Since a modest seven- game hitting streak ended in Minnesota on April 14 with his average at .348, Cordero has gone 1 for 34 with 17 strikeouts.

Meanwhile, the player he was traded for, outfielder Andrew Benintendi, is coming off a two-homer game for the surprising Royals and has raised his average nearly 100 points, to .273, in the last 10 games.

Veteran Danny Santana begins a rehab stint at Single-A Greenville on Tuesday. If he isn't ready to help, the Red Sox should summon infielder Michael Chavis, who had an excellent spring and has played 12 lifetime games in left field.

Trending down: Adam Ottavino

Between walks (9 in 10 innings) and an inability to command his fastball, Ottavino has been walking an increasingly perilous tightrope that finally snapped on Sunday.

With the Red Sox leading 3-2 in the eighth, Ottavino walked leadoff man Nate Lowe on five pitches before allowing him to steal second. He retired the next two batters, but failed to put away either David Dahl (game-tying single) or Isiah Kiner-Falefa (walk) before being lifted for Matt Barnes, who surrendered the go-ahead single to Brock Holt.

In a perfect world, Ottavino would own the eighth as a veteran counterpart to Barnes in the ninth, but he has allowed at least one baserunner in eight of his 12 outings, and five times he has put the first batter on base, including Sunday.

"The leadoff walk. I mean, that's the game," Ottavino said. "I'm not trying to do that, but pretty disappointed that I did. And after that, I got to the spot where I could have gotten out of it, but I made a bad pitch and I gave up a hit there and, yeah, it's that simple. A leadoff walk and your margin for really shrinks."

Manager Alex Cora will give Ottavino every opportunity to find his form, because he knows his best bullpen features the veteran in the eighth. But the way Ottavino is going now, he's attempting to succeed with just one pitch -- his bread-and-butter slider. That's untenable.

Trending up: Darwinzon Hernandez

The flip side to Ottavino is Hernandez, who has figured things out after a wild start.

The 24-year-old left-hander found something in Texas, where he faced 11 hitters and struck out eight of them, surrendering just a pair of singles. With a mid-90s fastball, average slider, and back-pocket curveball, Hernandez generates as many swings and misses as virtually any pitcher in the game. His fastball only averages a tick under 95 mph, but it still manages to get on top of hitters.

"He's getting a lot of swings and misses in the strike zone, which we believe, his fastball can do that," Cora said. "We're excited to see where this is going to go, but we feel very confident that he can help us getting big outs late in games."

Trending up: Rafael Devers

If you judge a hitter by quality of contact, then about the only person in the game who can claim a hotter start than Devers is Angels superstar Mike Trout.

Devers has entered one of those zones where it feels like he's hitting everything hard, whether it's the 109 mph lineout he smoked on Sunday, the 100 mph double he laced on Saturday, or the 105.6 mph home run he launched on Friday.

No one on the Red Sox has hit into more loud outs than Devers, but that hasn't stopped him from hitting .283 with seven homers, 21 RBIs, and a .934 OPS. It wouldn't be remotely surprising if he's about to explode for a 10-homer month.

Trending down: Kiké Hernández

How much longer can Hernández stay in the leadoff spot? He delivered a key RBI single on Sunday, but it did little to mask how much he has struggled, particularly recently.

Since going 2 for 6 in a Marathon Monday blowout of the White Sox, Hernández is hitting just .162 with two walks. Cora liked the idea of Hernández hunting fastballs out of the leadoff spot, and he's hitting .286 with a .333 on base percentage when leading off an inning.

But that situation only accounts for about 38 percent of his at-bats. He's hitting .194 the rest of the time with an overall on-base percentage of .277. Even in an era when hitting is down across the board, that's just not a leadoff OBP.

The dilemma for Cora if he decides to reorder the lineup is how to maintain balance. His best 1-2 punch would probably be Alex Verdugo and Devers, but he's unlikely to stack his only two left-handed regulars. Another option would be second baseman Christian Arroyo, who hit leadoff on Friday and Saturday while Hernández got a couple of days off.

Arroyo was hit on the hand by a pitch a week ago, however, and has batted just .158 over his last six games, so there's no guarantee he'd be an upgrade.

* BostonSportsJournal.com

Is Jarren Duran the answer to Red Sox’ bottom-of-lineup woes?

Sean McAdam

As befits a team that sits atop its division, the Red Sox are associated with far more positives than negatives.

As a staff, the Red Sox have a 3.75 ERA — 12th among the 30 MLB teams and sixth among the 15 clubs in the American League.

Meanwhile, the offense is tied with for the most runs scored among A.L. teams, and the Sox are among the league-leaders in , slugging percentage, OPS and a host of other categories.

That’s not to suggest, however, that all is perfect or that there aren’t troubling aspects of the team’s performance that could use improvement.

Chief among those is the abysmal production being provided by the bottom three spots in the Boston batting order.

Here are the batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage slash lines associated with the final three spots in the lineup through 29 games.

No. 7: .150/.232/.230 No. 8: .232/.280/.354 No. 9: .167/.216/.229

Combined the three spots have generated a slash line of .186/.246/.275 with 19 walks and 95 strikeouts. The power output has been negligible with a total of three homers.

It’s not as if this issue was completely unforeseen. The three principal players grouped at the bottom of the lineup have been Hunter Renfroe, Bobby Dalbec and Franchy Cordero, all of whom have well-earned reputation as free swingers with a history of high strikeout rates. And, indeed, the numbers reflect that all three have struggles with making consistent contact.

Expectations have been so modest of late that it was something of a moral victory that Cordero at least succeeded in putting the ball in play in the team’s most recent series in Texas. Cordero fanned just once in 10 plate appearances in the final three games against the Rangers, which Alex Cora cited as an indication that the outfielder was making strides. What Cora didn’t say: not once did Cordero reach base safely in those plate appearances.

The Sox are inclined to be more patient with Dalbec, who last September and again this spring showcased his prodigious power on a regular basis. The same goes for Renfroe, who “leads” the trio with two homers, but has more of a track record in big leagues and is at least contributing with his above-average defense in right field.

But Cordero looks so utterly lost at the plate that it’s worth asking if it isn’t time to send him to the minor league to work on his swing. Cordero also has remaining options, meaning the Sox could assign him to Worcester, whose season begins Tuesday, without fear of exposing him to waivers.

Sending Cordero down would provide a roster opening for his replacement, and while Michael Chavis might be the most obvious candidate — having had some success at the big league level, along with a strong Grapefruit League showing that indicated he had improved his swing decisions — a more interesting choice would be Jarren Duran.

To date, the Red Sox have chosen to give Duran additional development time at the alternate site, which is a prudent course. Duran converted from the infield to the outfield just three years ago, and as his play in spring training highlighted, still needs work on his play in center, his projected long-term position when he does graduate to the big leagues.

But in a telling move, the Sox, within the last 10 days, have been working Duran in left field, too, a position far less challenging, especially at Fenway.

Demoting Cordero to Worcester and promoting Duran as his at least occasional replacement, makes sense.

By placing Duran in the lower third of the order, they could take the pressure off the rookie. The Sox wouldn’t be asking him to be a table-setter at the top of the lineup — his likely eventual role — and given how little Cordero has contributed (two extra base hits in 57 at-bats), he wouldn’t exactly have a high bar to clear.

Cora could continue to play Alex Verdugo in left, Kiké Hernández in center and Renfroe in right, with Christian Arroyo and Marwin Gonzalez sharing time at second. But occasionally, especially against righties, Duran could slip into the lineup and play left field. Duran wouldn’t be expected to be an everyday player, but would get enough playing time to show what he can do.

If Duran responds well to the challenge, his playing time could increase and his timetable accelerated. If he fails, he could be returned to Triple A where he could continue to development and improve his routes in center. By then, perhaps, Cordero may have fixed some things with his swing and could return to the major league team.

There’s little downside to this experiment. Enough time has passed at the start of the season that the Red Sox would not be using up a full year of Duran’s service time. If he stays long-term, the worst that would result is qualifying for salary arbitration a year early. That would be a small price to pay down the road for injecting some life into the bottom third of the team’s lineup.

* The Athletic

Eight key issues facing the Red Sox system as minor-league seasons resume

Chad Jennings

It’s been 25 months since minor-league baseball celebrated a full-season Opening Day, and in that time, the Red Sox have been radically transformed. The last time it happened was April 4, 2019, when Bobby Dalbec and Darwinzon Hernandez were in Double A, Triston Casas had two games of professional experience, and Garrett Whitlock was trying to make a name for himself in the Yankees system. The Red Sox big-league lineup that day included only three players who are still in the organization, and nine of their current top 20 prospects, according to Keith Law, were not yet in the system. The Triple-A WooSox didn’t even exist.

On Tuesday, it finally starts anew. After a lost season and a one-month delay, minor-league baseball kicks off again with the Red Sox system in an interesting place. New chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has introduced a fresh emphasis on player development, the system has intriguing talent in its upper levels, and it soon will add the fourth pick in the draft.

“I don’t know exactly how other teams looked coming into spring training,” director of player development Brian Abraham said. “But we were extremely excited.”

Outside of the work at last year’s alternate site and a few weeks of offseason instructional league, the Red Sox had little hands-on contact with minor-league players during the past year, but Abraham said they were thrilled with the way most players arrived in minor-league camp last month, and they were encouraged with the way they broke camp last week. Aside from Bryan Mata’s Tommy John surgery — and a few minor injuries here and there — the system seems relatively healthy and perhaps in a position to exceed relatively modest outside expectations.

“The popular refrain that Boston’s system is bad isn’t really fair or accurate,” Law wrote in February, when he ranked the system 20th. “(They) have a lot of guys who project to major-league value, and they have a lot of guys with some ceiling who need to get out and play.”

From potential breakout performances to potential big-league contributors, we break down eight key issues facing the Red Sox system this summer. And it starts on the mound.

1. Development of starting pitchers

A lack of homegrown starters has long been a knock on the organization, but there are signs of improvement, beginning with the initial big-league success of Tanner Houck, who will be in Triple A awaiting his next major-league opportunity.

Soon, he’ll be joined by Connor Seabold, one of the new additions from last year’s trade deadline. Seabold will open the season on the Triple-A injured list because of elbow inflammation, but he’s actively throwing, and Abraham described the IL stint as precautionary.

“Just want to make sure he’s healthy and ready and go,” Abraham said. “Hopefully it’s just a short-term thing.”

Fellow new additions Frank German and Josh Winckowski will step into a strong Double-A rotation alongside top-20 prospects Thaddeus Ward and Andrew Politi. At the lower levels, Aldo Ramirez, Brayan Bello, Chris Murphy and — more on him in a bit — stand out as rotation prospects who could emerge and improve their prospect status. Losing Mata hurts (he was perhaps the top pitching prospect in the system) and there’s still no update on (who can apply this month for an early release from his Navy commitment), but the Red Sox have added depth and ceiling to their minor-league rotations, and they could see the fruits of that improvement this summer.

Starting pitchers Tanner Houck Thaddeus Ward Jay Groome Aldo Ramirez Daniel Gossett Frank German Brayan Bello Ryan Zeferjahn Kyle Hart Josh Winckowski Chris Murphy Shane Drohan Stephen Gonsalves Andrew Politi Brian Van Belle Jeremy Wu-Yelland Raynel Espinal Kutter Crawford Chase Shugart Jorge Rodriguez

2. The arrival of Jarren Duran He’s not necessarily the top prospect in the organization — Law ranked him third behind Casas and Jeter Downs — but Duran might be the most talked-about in the system, and his development has short-term and long-term implications.

His performance at the alternate site last summer suggested an offensive breakthrough, as he hit for more power than ever before, but he did so in an unusual setting. His postseason performance in the Puerto Rican winter league also suggested the potential for significant impact. Now the Red Sox need to see it on a regular basis in regular games. If Duran performs, it’s not out of the question he could become a big-league option by midsummer, and perhaps an everyday for the foreseeable future.

Of course, there also will be a lot of focus on Casas, the massive 21-year-old slugger who hit 20 home runs in his only full season of pro ball. He’ll jump to Double A to open this season. It’s worth noting the Red Sox have been open to promoting players from Double A to the big leagues in a single year (Xander Bogaerts, Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers), often with little or no Triple-A playing time necessary. Granted, it was under different leadership, but the possibility is hard to ignore with a guy like Casas.

Outfielders Jarren Duran Jeisson Rosario Tyler Esplin Gilberto Jimenez Marcus Wilson Pedro Castellanos Cole Brannen Nick Decker César Puello Joey Meneses Tyler Dearden Wil Dalton Michael Gettys Johan Mieses Luke Bandy Dean Miller Tate Matheny Danny Santana (rehab) Jecorrah Arnold

3. First impressions of new players

The list of the top 20 Red Sox prospects is thick with players acquired in the past two years: Downs, Song, Murphy, Nick Yorke, Matthew Lugo, Cam Cannon, Jeisson Rosario, Connor Wong and Blaze Jordan. Also notable: Seabold, German, Winckowski, Hudson Potts, Ronaldo Hernández and Jake Wallace.

At most, these guys have played one partial season for the Red Sox. Some have yet to play in an official game.

The 2020 draft class, headlined by Yorke and Jordan, is an interesting one because the Red Sox had only four picks and used their top choice on Yorke. That pick came as a surprise, but he’s since shown an advanced hitting ability. This season will be his first opportunity to play in actual games for the team.

Yorke will be the everyday second baseman in Low A, while fellow 2020 picks Shane Drohan and Jeremy Wu-Yelland will be in the Low-A rotation. Last year’s third-round pick, Jordan, will start the year in extended spring largely because the Red Sox want to give him a chance to play third base every day (they’re not ready to make him strictly a first baseman). Nick Northcut, a promising 2018 high school pick, will be the regular third baseman ahead of him in Salem.

“(Jordan) has shown a ton of progress in a short amount of time,” Abraham said. “He didn’t do anything wrong to not make the full-season club.”

Because the 2020 draft was shortened, the Red Sox added a bunch of undrafted free agents last summer, and the most intriguing might be University of Miami starter Brian Van Belle, who’s jumping straight to High A to begin his pro career.

“(He) was going to get drafted … probably soon after the five rounds we had last year,” Abraham said. “We have a senior pitcher who’s able to command the strike zone, throw multiple pitches for strikes, and shows flashes of a plus changeup.”

4. The progress of Jay Groome

There are a lot of X-factors in this system, but the biggest might be 22-year-old Groome, the 12th draft pick in 2016 who’s made just 20 professional starts because of injuries and the lost 2020 season. He’s going to open in the High-A rotation, but he’s on the 40-man roster and could move quickly.

“Obviously it’s been a while,” Abraham said. “We’re expecting big things. I know he has high expectations for himself. If he performs, I don’t see us necessarily waiting to promote him to get an opportunity at the upper levels. I think it’s important for him to get his feet wet at the full-season affiliate level.”

Others who could improve their prospect status and deepen the minor-league system: Lugo (a toolsy shortstop who impressed in spring training), Gilberto Jimenez (a potential top-100 prospect in center field), Durbin Feltman (a reliever looking to bounce back), Nick Decker (a powerful outfielder who needs at-bats) and Ramirez (an emerging starter whose velocity has jumped).

5. Looming opportunity in the infield

Despite a strong month from Christian Arroyo, the long-term future at second base remains wide open. It’s also fair to wonder how much longer Bogaerts might stay at shortstop, whether Devers might eventually move off third base and whether Dalbec can make enough contact to keep the first base job long-term.

Bubbling just beneath all that uncertainty is some infield intrigue with every minor-league affiliate. It starts, of course, with Downs, the top prospect acquired in the Mookie Betts trade, who looms as a potential long- term answer at second base. Abraham said Downs will continue to play shortstop and second base in his Triple-A debut, with Jonathan Araúz also getting time at both positions. Maintaining that flexibility, Abraham said, is important for both players. Some other positional plans:

• At Triple A, Michael Chavis is going to get his playing time at second base and first base. Yairo Muñoz, who can play anywhere, will primarily play the infield because the Red Sox like their mix of Triple-A outfielders.

• At Double A, Casas is strictly a first baseman, no longer expected to meaningfully moonlight at third. When Hudson Potts gets healthy, he’ll likely be Portland’s regular at third.

• At High A, Cannon and Koss will be an interesting under-the-radar double-play combination. Cannon was the team’s top pick in 2019, while Koss was acquired this offseason from the Rockies. He’s going to get most of the reps at shortstop and has impressed the Red Sox with his bat.

• At Low A, high-round picks Yorke and Lugo will play together, Yorke at second and Lugo at short. Both have everyday upside.

“There’s a lot of polish to what Lugo does,” vice president of baseball operations Ben Crockett told MLB.com. “He’s very consistent with his mental approach day to day. He has put himself in a tremendous position athletically. He’s one of the strongest guys pound per pound that we have.”

Infielders Jeter Downs Triston Casas Cam Cannon Nick Yorke Michael Chavis Ryan Fitzgerald Brandon Howlett Matthew Lugo Jonathan Araúz Tanner Nishioka Christian Koss Nick Northcut Yairo Muñoz Jack Lopez Tyreque Reed Ceddanne Rafaela Josh Ockimey Devlin Granberg Jake Makenzie Chad De La Guerra Michael Osinski Joe Davis Nick Sogard

6. Improved catching depth

Pitching additions might stand out a little more, but the Red Sox also have been aggressively improving their young depth behind the plate. Wong and Ronaldo Hernandez are now the top young catchers in the system, and both were acquired in recent trades (neither has played a real game for the organization). Although Wong played some infield while in the Dodgers system, he’ll strictly catch in Triple A this season. Abraham said he’ll continue to take groundballs pregame, but “that is not a priority right now. Behind the plate getting reps is extremely valuable.”

Abraham also singled out 2019 17th-round pick Alex Erro, a college infielder who’s moved behind the plate, as someone who impressed in minor-league camp this spring.

“He has an interesting bat,” Abraham said. “A little bit older, but has really kind of transitioned well behind the plate. And it’s always exciting to see those guys who can swing the bat pretty well move behind the plate.”

Catchers Connor Wong Ronaldo Hernández Kole Cottam Alex Erro Jett Bandy Roldani Baldwin Elih Marrero Jaxx Groshans Chris Herrmann Jhonny Pereda Alan Marrero Stephen Scott

7. Getting and staying healthy

Every team in baseball is worried about big-league workload after playing only 60 games last year, so imagine the concern about minor-league workload for guys who haven’t played a full season in more than a year. Expanded rosters will help, and Abraham said he expects some piggyback starters and multi-inning relievers to play key roles, especially in the lower levels. Even in Triple A, though, former starters Ryan Weber and Matt Hall are currently in the bullpen.

While the Red Sox look relatively healthy at the moment, here are five key exceptions:

• Bryan Mata – Lost for the year after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

• Connor Seabold – Expected to be activated relatively soon. Currently on the IL with elbow inflammation but actively throwing.

• Hudson Potts – Slugging third baseman acquired in the trade will open the season in Double A, but he’s currently on the IL with an oblique injury. He is swinging a bat, though. “Just another guy we don’t want to rush,” Abraham said. “(His recovery) is right in line with our hope.”

• Brendan Cellucci – He’ll eventually pitch for High-A Greenville, but the lefty sprained his ankle at the end of minor-league spring training.

• Danny Santana – He’s not a prospect, but the 30-year-old utilityman could be a big-league option once he fully recovers from shoulder and foot injuries. He’s going to open the season on the Triple-A injured list but on a rehab assignment in High A. The Red Sox feel at-bats are the most important thing for him right now.

Abraham said the Red Sox will lean heavily on their medical, strength and sports science experts as they try to manage workload this season, and he expects some adjustments throughout the season as they try to avoid injury and fatigue. Everyday players and starting pitchers might get more rest than usual as the Red Sox get a feel for what players can handle after such a long layoff.

“I think especially in the lower levels, the 30-man roster in terms of depth in the bullpen and depth on the bench is going to be extremely important,” Abraham said.

Relief pitchers Eduard Bazardo Durbin Feltman Jake Wallace Merfy Andrew Colten Brewer Alex Scherff Jacinto Arredondo Marcus Walden Joan Ramirez Zach Bryant Brock Bell Ryan Weber Zach Schellenger Jose Espada Bradley Blalock Brandon Brennan Denyi Reyes Rio Gomez Casey Cobb Kevin McCarthy Jose Adames Oddanier Mosqueda Jordan DiValerio Josh Schreiber Enmanual De Jesus Brendan Nail Ryan Fernandez Matt Hall Jack Kelly Yusniel Padron-Artilles Robert Kwiatkowski Caleb Simpson Matthew Kent Dyan Spacke Cole Milam Kaleb Ort Dominic LoBrutto Jake Thompson Aaron Petty Seth Blair Cole Milam Devon Roedahl Bobby Poyner Cody Scroggins Brandon Walter

8. Chance to build

The most important upcoming date for the Red Sox minor-league system is July 11, when the team will have the fourth pick in the draft, its highest selection since 1967. It’s a golden opportunity to add a high- impact player to what seems already to be an improving system.

But midsummer could also see the debuts of some key players already in the organization.

The extended-spring-training infield currently includes Jordan and shortstop Brainer Bonaci, two of the top teenage prospects in the system. Antoni Flores is there, too, trying to regain some lost luster.

Among the starting pitchers being held back in extended spring is Chih-Jung Liu, a 21-year-old signed out of Taiwan in late 2019. The lost 2020 season cost the Red Sox their first real opportunity to get to know him. They’re currently working with him to maximize his pitch mix and use it more effectively.

“Very exciting young arm,” Abraham said. “We’re going to have him start. I think the biggest thing is to get him in our programs and into our routines. … In terms of talent, probably could have made the Salem roster. But I think in terms of long-term success and being a consistent starter on a weekly basis, I think it’s best for him to stay in extended.”