The Monday, July 13, 2020

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Jackie Bradley Jr. eyes shifting his approach

Peter Abraham

Jackie Bradley Jr. bunted for a against an shift in the first of Sunday’s intrasquad game, placing the ball precisely in the spot vacated by .

That probably shouldn’t be news. But Bradley has only two hits in his career despite being a fundamentally sound bunter with good speed. It’s just never been a big part of his game.

Part of it is that Bradley has 91 home runs in his career, so why settle for a single? But given how often opponents shift him and his frequent struggles against lefthanders, perhaps Bradley should try it more often.

If nothing else, an occasional bunt should cause teams to adjust their shifts and create an opening for when he does swing away.

“We’ve talked about him doing that,” Ron Roenicke said. “The thing that he was saying is usually when they shift off him, they usually keep the third baseman kind of at home . . . But any time they vacate that spot and move that third baseman to short, I think Jackie’s pretty comfortable doing it.”

Bradley swung away after his bunt. He lined a off the scoreboard in the third inning, and drove in two runs with a single to left center in the fourth inning.

Bradley had a 1.141 OPS over 12 games before was called off, and has well since the Sox reported to .

Something new The Red Sox coaching staff on Saturday night discussed the idea of Tzu-Wei Lin playing first base.

Lin was in the field at 11:30 a.m. Sunday for a quick tutorial from infield . Then he started at first base in the game.

Life moves pretty fast sometimes in baseball, but Lin handled the situation well, especially considering he had never played there before.

He was too quick off the bag on the first ball hit his way and had to scramble back to collect a throw from . But he made the other plays with borderline aplomb, including digging a low throw of the dirt to complete a in the fifth inning.

“I was really happy with the way he played today,” Roenicke said. “He made some good picks. I know he’s going to field the ball well. It’s a question of figuring out how to get to first base in a hurry and get your body turned around and your foot on the bag.

“Once he learns to do that, I think he’ll be really good there.”

Lin has started games at , second base, third base, and center field in the majors. Counting the minor leagues, he also has experience in left field and right field.

Major League Baseball’s new tiebreaker rule for this season is part of the reason why Lin is learning to play first base.

The rule puts the runner who made the last out in the ninth inning on second base to start the 10th inning. If that’s Mitch Moreland, the Sox would use Lin as a pinch runner.

If Lin can play first, Roenicke won’t have to make another move.

“We’ve been tinkering with this,” the manager said. “You don’t want to have to use another player.”

Lin is out of minor league options, so the more versatile he is, the easier it will be to keep him on the roster.

For openers Roenicke said the Sox are leaning toward using an opener for the fifth spot in the rotation. They are building up several — and Colten Brewer among them — to work multiple (preferably three) behind the opener’s two. They don’t have many candidates who could work four innings . . . Head athletic trainer Brad Pearson told Roenicke that righthander Collin McHugh is still in rehab mode coming back from an elbow injury and isn’t ready to face hitters. He won’t be available to start the season . . . had another rocky outing, allowing two runs on four hits in his inning. “I’d be concerned if the ball wasn’t coming out of his hand well,” Roenicke said. “It’s location.” . . . The Sox are using white athletic tape to mark spots on the and benches that can’t be used to sit to promote social distancing. The dugout railings also are marked to keep standees apart . . . Infielder , who was cleared to play on Saturday, worked at Fenway Park for the first time and showed his customary power during practice, driving one ball onto the tarp covering the bleacher seats in center field. He did not play in the game . . . The Sox are planning to start evening workouts and intrasquad games Friday to better prepare for the season. Twelve of the first 14 games are scheduled at night . . . The baseball operations staff has a meeting set on Monday to discuss additions to the 60-man player pool. The Sox have 10 slots open and several prospects are likely to be added. The belief is lefthanders Darwinzon Hernandez, Eduardo Rodriguez, and , who all tested positive for COVID-19, will be able to return in late July or early August.

Lefthander Brian Johnson is a serious candidate for a Red Sox rotation spot

Peter Abraham

The Red Sox placed Brian Johnson on waivers in late November for the purposes of taking him off the 40- man roster. The other 29 teams passed and he was assigned to A Pawtucket.

The move was an obvious one considering Johnson’s 6.02 earned average last season. He put 76 runners on base via hit or walk over 40⅓ innings.

But Johnson, a supplemental first round pick in 2012, never saw it coming.

“One-hundred percent, it was a surprise,” he said.

Now, almost eight months later, the pitcher the Sox didn’t need in November is a leading candidate for the fourth spot in their rotation.

Manager Ron Roenicke certainly feels that way after watching Johnson retire nine of the 10 batters he faced in an intrasquad game on Sunday.

“Yes, I do. We all do,” Roenicke said.

Johnson walked in the first inning but was otherwise perfect. He threw 24 of 38 pitches for strikes with a well-located and a lively .

Johnson’s fastball is 88-90 miles per hour, so it’s a he has to throw up the to be effective. That makes his above-average and changeup better pitches.

“When he was good two years ago we saw a lot of high . He really hit that spot well,” Roenicke said. “He mixed in a lot of .”

“It’s hard to say this early what the difference is between this year and last year. But we really like the way he threw the ball.”

That Johnson is being lined up to face the Mets on July 27 speaks to the changes that chewed up the rotation since last season ended.

Rick Porcello signed with the Mets as a free agent. Then was traded to the Dodgers, the Red Sox tacking on half his remaining salary over three seasons as part of the cost to get .

Chris Sale was next, his seemingly inevitable Tommy John coming in March. Then Eduardo Rodriguez tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month.

But give Johnson credit for putting himself in position to claim one of those open spots. He showed improvement in the five games he pitched before spring training was shut down and reported to Fenway Park earlier this month built up to go three innings after staying on a throwing program when he was home in Florida.

Lefthanders always get a second chance, especially ones with a first-round pedigree. But Johnson is earning his shot at redemption. He’s recognizing the need to be precise with his mechanics, particularly when ahead in the .

Some pitchers can make a mistake and get away with it because of their velocity or movement. Johnson doesn’t have that insurance.

“A lot of times when you have something happen to you, you have to make a change,” Roenicke said. “Whether it’s mental with your attitude or whether it’s something mechanical and you have to make a change.

“The one thing we try and tell everybody is to stay open-minded. Sometimes you have to make a change to stay in [the] big leagues.”

Johnson readily acknowledged that the demotion provided motivation.

“There’s never a time in the majors you want to get complacent,” he said. “Having that happen really lit a fire and showed I needed to prove something.”

Johnson landed on the disabled list early last season with elbow inflammation and missed nearly 10 weeks. He pitched well in three games after returning then returned to the for five more weeks with what was described as a non-baseball medical matter.

“That wasn’t really me at times,” Johnson said. “I was coming back off [the injured list] twice. I get it; my numbers weren’t good in 2019. I get why someone would get taken off the roster. But I didn’t expect it.”

Whether it’s a starter or reliever, Johnson can be valuable. He appeared in 38 games for the 2018 Red Sox, 13 as a starter, and had a 4.17 ERA over 99⅓ innings. He faced as many as 29 hitters in a game that season and as few as one.

Such versatility requires endurance from the start.

“It’s easier to build up to five, six innings then taper off when you need to,” Johnson said. “It’s much harder to be at two or three innings and suddenly ramp up to five or six,” Johnson said. “It’s not the amount of pitches you throw, it’s the up and downs [between innings] that really get you.”

The PawSox were much more than just a baseball team, and the WooSox want to be the same way

Alex Speier

Over the last 10 months, the Pawtucket – and soon-to-be Worcester – Red Sox have offered a kaleidoscopic view of the relationship between a minor league team and the community it serves.

At its core, the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox represents a way station for players with big league ambitions. The primary mission of both players and the franchise itself is to help a big league team win. For those in uniform, their Triple-A team’s address is mostly a passing concern.

But for cities and their residents, the presence of a minor league team is – or at least is meant to be – anything but transient. Minor league ballclubs play a critical role in the identity and social ecosystem of their communities, a notion explored in unprecedented fashion by the PawSox in recent months.

The franchise neared the end of a half-century marriage with Pawtucket while preparing for a new union with Worcester. Inevitably, the effort to connect with both communities – to honor the team’s history at McCoy Stadium while celebrating the anticipated 2021 move to Polar Park – was going to prove challenging.

Then, months of planning for the “hail and farewell” season were crumpled and tossed aside as the minor league team worked to redefine its mission without the central activity – baseball games – that anchors everything it does. The minor league season was postponed and then finally, on June 30, cancelled.

Yet the franchise did not remain idle without games. To the contrary, the whirl of activity and charitable undertakings by the PawSox underscored the impact that a minor league team can have on its community – and some of what likely will be lost by dozens of communities in 2020, with facing a financial crisis and the likely contraction of 42 teams.

“I think we’ve taken all too long for granted that they’re a minor league team. They’ve become more than that in the community,” Pawtucket mayor Donald Grebien said, considering the role played by the PawSox this spring. “They’re entrenched here and have been. They’ve become so important. They’re a community leader.”

So what does it mean to Pawtucket that they’re leaving Rhode Island, moving 45 minutes away to the opposite corner of the Blackstone Valley? And what does it mean to Worcester to gain a prominent new resident?

Last hurrah? McCoy Stadium’s Labor Day turnout on Sept. 2, 2019, appeared considerably less than its announced size of 5,049 for the final game of the 2019 PawSox season. Yet the afternoon offered plenty of delight – hot dogs, ice cream, goofy entertainment , kids posing with mascots Paws and Sox – against the backdrop of a competitive Triple-A baseball game that featured some of the most promising prospects in the Red Sox farm system.

Most in attendance basked in a chance to enjoy one last 2019 game for the Red Sox’ top minor league affiliate, the last of the 50th season of the . PawSox Cole Sturgeon’s third homer of the game closed out a 10-inning, 5-4 walkoff victory over Lehigh Valley – a final thrill of 2019 at McCoy.

After Sturgeon’s walkoff, PawSox players streamed onto the field, armed with bags of souvenirs to toss to fans – unaware that the distribution of mementos likely punctuated the final game of a Red Sox minor league affiliate in McCoy.

It’s really happening In the process of creating a nickname and logo for the , team officials spent months trying to get to know Worcester – its city culture, its neighborhoods, its diversity, its history – while seeking out suggestions for potential names of the minor league team.

Despite the biting cold on Nov. 2, 2019, hundreds turned out at Worcester’s Mercantile Center to see the result of a process that generated more than 200 suggestions: The unveiling of the name and look of the WooSox, with lettering that offered a nod both to the first pro team in the city (the 19th-century Worcester Worcesters) as well as a heart in the “W” that paid homage to the city’s self-proclaimed title of the “Heart of the Commonwealth.”

Those in attendance were largely ecstatic, and in some cases overcome by the idea not just of a team but a Red Sox affiliate in Worcester.

“I can’t believe I’m actually part of this sitting here,” said PawSox hitting coach Rich Gedman, a Worcester native. “It’s very, very emotional.”

Mixed emotions Though snow blanketed the field on Dec. 7, 2019, fans trooped through McCoy Stadium for the annual Enchanted Village Holiday Party. In this case, despite the signs of holiday festivity – players signing autographs, hot chocolate, cookies, games – a hint of melancholy loomed as fans bought tickets and souvenirs in advance of what was to be the final season of the PawSox in their longtime home.

Mementos from the ballpark were on sale, with mixed emotions taking root among those who purchased them. As Pawtucket residents Ehrin and Cassandra DeMeule toted a seat out of McCoy, they lamented the fact that their opportunities to sit in the actual stands were dwindling.

“I could not not have a piece of this place at my house with me,” said Ehrin DeMeule, who estimated that he’d been to hundreds of games at McCoy and planned to attend all 70 home games in 2020. “It’s always been a part of everybody. It’s a shame, it’s embarrassing that this is leaving the state of Rhode Island, that something couldn’t come together to keep this here.”

Mike Lyons, a PawSox employee in corporate and community partnerships, took time to appreciate the familiar faces who made it to McCoy – knowing that many of them would appear rarely, if ever, once the team moved to Worcester.

“When you’re here every day and you walk through the stands every day, you get a real sense of what this means to people in this community,” said Lyons. “The ones we’re hurting for are the ones who won’t make that trip up there.”

Delicate balance By Jan. 28, members of the front office were familiar with the drive up and down Route 146 between Pawtucket and Worcester – the location of the two traffic lights, the speed traps, the somehow fitting passage over Purgatory Road in Northbridge.

It was the sort of day that revealed the frenzy of activity surrounding the franchise in its ambitious dual- track approach to its future. Minor league teams operate with small-business principles, with most employees asked to assume responsibilities well beyond their official job descriptions. The franchise’s work in two towns created an even greater expansion of roles.

“It seems simple but even answering questions in Worcester and giving PawSox business cards, there are these balances that you learn how to manage,” team executive vice president Dan Rea said during a meeting in his McCoy office in which he periodically moved a bucket to a water leak. “There’s not exactly a playbook. We’re kind of inventing that from scratch and making the most out of a very unique set of circumstances.”

A morning staff meeting ticked down the list of activities in both Pawtucket and Worcester – a massive expansion of promotions and alumni guest appearances for the final PawSox season in McCoy; regular season ticket sales for 2020 in Pawtucket; season ticket sales for 2021 in Worcester; charitable activities in both communities.

Shortly after lunch, several staffers made the drive to the Worcester Public Library to announce the formation of the WooSox Foundation, making a $25,000 donation to support renovations at the library and announcing the start of a college scholarship program for Worcester students.

“We’re not just here on a one-way street. This is a two-way street,” said PawSox chairman Larry Lucchino. “We want to be something that grows to become one of the biggest, best, most integrated charities in Minor League Baseball.”

Even so, the organization insisted that its community role in Pawtucket wasn’t going to end in 2020. Minor League Baseball defines the territorial rights of the franchise as extending across the Blackstone Valley.

“We’re going to still be good to Pawtucket,” said PawSox president Charles Steinberg. “You’re not turning your back on a community connection.”

That ongoing commitment was not the only reason Lucchino wanted to avoid getting too caught up in the notion that a final season in Pawtucket might be heavy on heartbreak.

“I want to celebrate. This has been a great run. And,” he cautioned, “maybe something will go wrong [with the move to Worcester].”

An unexpected wrinkle No one imagined just how much could go wrong.

One day before the scheduled PawSox home opener on April 9, McCoy Stadium’s parking lot was repurposed. With games postponed indefinitely and construction in Worcester halted, the team had partnered with the city of Pawtucket and Ocean State Job Lot to distribute food to local families in need. More than 1,200 cars drove through the lot to receive groceries.

That food distribution was the first of several for Rhode Island families amidst the devastating hardship wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. The team also found other ways to help – donating its frozen food to families in need, turning ponchos (sold chiefly during April games) into personal protective equipment that could be given to hospitals in Pawtucket and Worcester, and providing meals for first responders.

“The goodwill efforts in Pawtucket are not only still going on. If anything, they’re increasing,” said Steinberg. “What you see is that when you eliminate the actual baseball play, as we’ve been forced to do, you still have a community institution that is a presence and a generator of goodwill. You’re seeing in the pandemic how much good something as potentially superficial as baseball can be and how deep its role in the community turns out to be.”

By the end of June, according to the team, more than 1.7 million pounds of food had been distributed from the McCoy Stadium parking lot.

Some of the team’s contributions – taxable tickets and gameday revenues, employment of more than 100 game-day staffers, in-game charitable fundraisers such as a 50/50 raffle – fell by the wayside without games. But in many ways, the impact made by the PawSox assumed a brighter spotlight by virtue of the absence of baseball.

The club’s relief efforts (as well as innovative revenue-generating activities, foremost the team’s “Dining on the Diamond” outdoor dining nights) highlighted the nimble and adaptable nature of minor league teams. Projects such as the massive food distributions were planned with just a day or two of notice from the city. Meanwhile, the team sought out longtime charitable partners to try to help them navigate rocky terrain.

“They’re acting like a partner now even more so than they ever have,” said Jim Hoyt, CEO of the Pawtucket Boys and Girls Club. “Sure we’re going to miss the PawSox. They’ve been fabric of the community. But they will continue to support what we’re delivering day-to-day.”

Bright future Despite the lost final season in Pawtucket, and despite anxiety sweeping minor league franchises who fretted about their survival, the PawSox had a life preserver all along: The move to Worcester. No one knew what the ballpark experience might look like in 2021, but interest in the WooSox – as shown by increasing season-ticket commitments as well as real estate activity around the park – remained high.

“One advantage we have that many others don’t is that we are going to have a new ballpark, a new experience,” said Lucchino. “All of that lends itself to some optimism.”

That sense wasn’t reserved just for those with WooSox business cards. As Worcester city officials toured the Polar Park construction site on June 29, they looked beyond the present moment – beyond the rain, beyond the dirt turned to mud, beyond the masks worn by all on the media tour and the absence of pedestrians in the Canal District – to imagine a very different future.

Next April, they daydreamed, the site where they stood and that was roughly 40 to 50 percent complete would be filled with thousands of people coming to a WooSox game. Perhaps they’d have stopped at the nearby Worcester Public Market or in a new business set in one of the increasingly sought-after buildings surrounding Polar Park prior to arriving at the park.

While team and city officials on the tour articulated a goal of moving into Polar Park in April 2021, they couldn’t say with certainty that it would be achieved. Nor could they be certain whether the new ballpark would be able to open to full capacity or whether it will have to control the number of patrons.

“The meaning [to the city] is the same it was before. It’s not lost on people here. … When this is done next year, this is going to be one big party,” said Worcester mayor Joseph Petty. “The city and people will have a real sense of community spirit here. Worth every penny.”

“I don’t think we could do another project that would have that kind of catalytic impact,” agreed Worcester city manager Ed Augustus Jr. “We didn’t build this for just a year. We built this for 50 years. Nobody could have anticipated a global pandemic. But we think that whether it’s a year, 18 months, 24 months, we’re going to be in a situation where we can fill this ballpark.

“Given the year we’ve been through,” Augustus continued, citing the death of a firefighter last December, the COVID-19 shutdown, and the gutting aftermath of George Floyd’s killing, “the community needs something uplifting, needs something positive, needs something hopeful. I think this is it. This is a lot of kind of memories that are going to be created in the space, a lot of kids will grow up saying they remember coming here with their dad, their grandfather, their family. That’s the kind of magic of a ballpark like this.”

Game over One day after the tour of the park illuminated a path toward the future of the WooSox, the history of the PawSox likely reached its terminus. Minor League Baseball announced the cancellation of its season.

The ambitious plans for the last hurrah in McCoy – perhaps a reunion of and Cal Ripken Jr., the two Hall of Fame third baseman who took part in the famous 33-inning game in 1981 – had been scuttled. Barring a derailment of construction in Worcester, the last PawSox game at McCoy had been played.

Steinberg sought silver linings, noting that, if the major league season begins, McCoy Stadium will again be used in service of the Red Sox, with 60-player pool members who aren’t in the big leagues using the ballpark to stay ready. In essence, McCoy might revert to its primary purpose as a supplier of big league depth and a setting where prospects can develop. Perhaps, he mused, the team could stream workouts or intrasquad games, giving longtime fans another chance to see baseball in the 78-year-old venue.

“You’re glad to think that baseball will be played at McCoy. But the circumstances are as unusual as 2020 has been,” said Steinberg. “The biggest disappointment is that we didn’t get to present a season full of sentimental, catalytic moments. While those visions are dealt a blow, it actually doesn’t diminish our optimism and our hope that we can still create a fitting farewell somehow, some way for PawSox baseball at McCoy Stadium. Maybe the end of the story hasn’t been written yet.”

* The Boston Herald

Red Sox looking for more starting pitching before 2020 MLB season begins

Jason Mastrodonato

Do the Red Sox need more starting pitching before the 2020 MLB season begins on July 24?

Are made of cowhide, yarn and rubber-coated cork?

Chances are, you know the answer to both those questions. So does Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke, who took a round-about, extra-gentle way of saying so when asked about it Sunday.

“It’s hard to say you ever feel really comfortable with all the starting pitching you have,” he said. “Rarely do you have six, seven, eight starters you feel great about. And you know you’re not going to use just five guys. That doesn’t happen in today’s game. So you’re never comfortable with enough starters.”

Let’s recount how many starters the Red Sox have: one, ; two, Martin Perez; three, Ryan Weber; four, Brian Johnson; five, nobody else.

It’d be great if the Red Sox had six, seven or eight starters they felt great about. But goodness gracious, at this point you’d think the poor manager would collect quarters on the sidewalk if it meant the team could add just one or two more starters for him to use.

How did they get here?

The Sox stayed in contact with this winter, but let the Mets sign him for $10 million and went the cheaper option with Perez ($6 million), who hasn’t yet looked good in spring training, nor in intrasquad games, and has been among the worst in the big leagues at striking people out during his career.

The Sox traded David Price and half of his contract to the Dodgers along with Mookie Betts.

Chris Sale needed Tommy John surgery, one that didn’t seem particularly surprising given the way last year ended, and is out for the season.

Eduardo Rodriguez has the coronavirus and has yet to report to camp.

Rookie lefty Darwinzon Hernandez, who looked like a candidate to be the opener in the fifth spot, also has the coronavirus.

Eovaldi and Perez are the only proven starters left. Weber has pleasantly surprised and should be interesting in the third spot, but with his career numbers (5.04 ERA), it’s a stretch to call him a comfortable third starter.

That leaves Johnson in the four spot after he missed most of last year with an elbow injury and some personal, undisclosed issues.

Johnson, the former first-round pick who was an unsung hero in 2018, is now 29 years old and is still throwing the same fastball-curve combination that helped him get to the big leagues. He made it look easy against teammates during three scoreless innings of intrasquad work on Sunday.

Roenicke said he’s a candidate for the four spot. Johnson is just happy to be in the big leagues after getting removed from the roster this offseason.

“I would be lying if I said no,” he said. “It kind of gives you that chip on the shoulder, a little bit of extra motivation. I don’t think there is ever a time when you’re in the majors you get complacent. But having that happen lit a fire and showed I needed to prove something.”

The whole rotation does.

“Certainly when I talk about our loss of a couple guys, it makes a big difference,” Roenicke said. “Trade David, lose Chris, Eddie will be back but it’s a question of when. Anytime you lose that many starting pitchers, it’s hard to replace those guys. So of course, any starting pitching that’s out there, quality starters, I’m sure our people are looking at it.”

Roenicke said he’ll be meeting with chief baseball officer on Monday to discuss how the team will use the remaining spots on the full 60-man roster for the 2020 season. He’s expecting some combination of bringing in guys from outside the organization and asking their own prospects to join them in camp.

Some other observations from Sunday’s intrasquad game and manager session with Roenicke:

1. is still getting adjusted to right field at Fenway. He had a questionable line drive go over his head and stumbled to chase after it. His throw to the infield landed about 30 feet short. 2. made a beautiful diving catch at second base, where he’s looked better than anticipated since his arrival in the bigs last spring. 3. J.D. Martinez hit his second homer of the intrasquad games, a moonshot off Kyle Hart. He typically has been a slow starter and hates spring training, but Roenicke said he’s locked in. 4. Collin McHugh, the right-hander brought in after a nice career with the Astros, is still working through elbow issues. He has yet to begin a regular throwing program and is still being treated as if he’s rehabbing his arm, Roenicke said. 5. Brandon Workman struggled in an inning of work and has yet to look smooth since returning to camp. Roenicke isn’t concerned because “it’s location. The ball is coming out fine.” 6. Tzu-Wei Lin started playing first base to make him a full seven-position utility man. The idea is to use Lin as a pinch-runner in the event of this year, which will begin with the batter who made the last out in the previous inning starting the 10th on second base. 7. The Sox will play their intrasquad game at 10:30 a.m. on Monday to avoid the rain. They’re planning on starting games in the evening beginning on Friday.

Red Sox CF Jackie Bradley Jr.’s hot streak could be his timeliest one yet

Jason Mastrodonato

Twelve days.

That’s how long Jackie Bradley Jr. needs to keep the consistent, opposite-field stroke he’s shown in intrasquad games thus far.

He’s got 12 days until the Red Sox begin their quest to sneak into the playoffs with a pitching staff that shouldn’t be anywhere within sniffing distance of October baseball.

Queue the cute “Angels in the ” kid who looks up with a twinkle in his eye and says, ‘It could happen.’

Production from the big-three — Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez — along with a monster 60-game (12 starts?) showing from Nathan Eovaldi will give the Red Sox a chance.

The great separator, though, the true wild card of this Red Sox season, is the streaky nine-hole hitter with a career .236 batting average.

“I guess every game is going to matter a little more now,” Bradley said last week.

Intrasquad games started last Thursday. On Sunday, Bradley was still swinging the bat like a man on fire. Going against left-hander Kyle Hart, a seven-year minor leaguer who has been on the periphery of the big leagues the last two years, Bradley unleashed a pretty stroke on what looked like a fading and launched it off the Green Monster for a double.

He added three hits in total before the day was done. It’s hard not to imagine what he’s capable of if this hot streak continues into July 24, when the Sox open up against the Orioles.

“He’s swinging the bat so well right now that I think he’s just confident in the whole game,” manager Ron Roenicke said. “He’s going the other way and I think the last few years when I was here, the difference between his first half and second half was when he started hitting the ball the other way. And soon as he started going opposite field, the average started going up and the power started showing up.”

How many times throughout Bradley’s career has he put up zeroes for such an extended period the Red Sox have had to seriously wonder if he was meant to be a big leaguer? How many times did former managers and have to give him a week out of the starting lineup to reset from one of his signature cold streaks?

Yet after each one, Bradley seems to bounce back. He’s put together five straight seasons with an average of 17 homers and a .765 OPS while playing Gold Glove-caliber defense in center field.

The cold streaks don’t seem to matter. The numbers are always there in the end. The hot streaks have been just as impactful.

Bradley could offer nothing in the 2020 season. He could also carry the Red Sox to a playoff spot they probably don’t deserve.

In the last three years alone, Bradley has put together 60-game stretches to drool over.

Last year was his most consistent, with the fewest highs and lows, but over a 60-game stretch from May 20 through July 30 he hit .278 with an .896 OPS and 17 doubles, two triples and 11 homers.

Bradley had a similar 60-game stretch in 2018, hitting .277 with an .852 OPS and 16 doubles, three triples and nine homers from June 16 through Sept. 1 (and won the ALCS MVP that October).

And how about this 60-game stretch in 2017, from May 13 through July 21: .302 average, .897 OPS, 16 doubles, one triple and 10 homers.

Put it all together and he’d average 43 doubles and 27 homers over a 162-game season if he was hot all year. That’s MVP caliber when taking his defense into account.

In the years prior, he’s had even better streaks. But as he’s started to get more consistent with age, Bradley remains the kind of dynamic player capable of taking over games.

“If we keep him where he’s at,” Roenicke said. “With Jack, you can see the confidence he has. I think most everybody, you can see that confidence.

“It took me a while probably to get to know Jackie. The first year I was new and trying to get to know everybody. Last year I felt really good with communication with him, opening up and telling me where he’s at. He’s at a really good spot right now. He’s always got a smile on his face. And he knows he’s at a point right now where if we open the season, he’s really confident where he’d be.”

Bradley will likely open the season hitting eighth or ninth, Roenicke said.

“I still like that,” the skipper said. “I’m not going to say he’s ninth, but I like eighth, ninth, getting people on base and getting to your good offensive one-two-three in your lineup… I think it’s really important when you like your first and second hitters in your lineup to have a good eighth and ninth, guys that can get on base.”

“We have guys that are locked in. We know we’re going to miss Mookie (Betts), of course. But if Alex Verdugo can come in and swing the bat like we think he’s capable, along with other guys who have proven they’re capable, we can have a very nice offensive team.”

* The Providence Journal

MAKING HIS CASE: Brian Johnson pitches three shutout inning in a bid for a roster spot

Bill Koch

BOSTON — There is currently one open spot on the Red Sox 40-man roster, and the clear favorite to claim it emerged on Sunday afternoon.

Pitcher Brian Johnson made his case for a return with three strong innings of work at Fenway Park. Marcus Walden and Josh Osich followed by carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning.

Boston’s home team in this latest intrasquad game scored a 6-1 victory over the visitors. Jackie Bradley Jr., J.D. Martinez and Kevin Pillar supplied the timely offense, as all six runs were driven home with two outs.

Johnson allowed just a two-out walk to Xander Bogaerts in the top of the first. The left-hander threw 24 of his 36 pitches for strikes before going to the bullpen for a final simulated inning. Bradley’s tumbling catch on a sinking liner to center by Alex Verdugo leading off was the closest thing Johnson allowed to a base hit.

“Yes, I do,” Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said, when asked if he thought Johnson was a contender for the rotation. “We all do. Hopefully he continues. We can build him up and see where we are at the end.”

Johnson found himself on the injured list twice last season. Left elbow inflammation sidelined him for two months beginning in April and a non-baseball medical matter shut him down for five weeks beginning in late June. Johnson’s final numbers were less than impressive — a 6.01 earned-run average in 40 1/3 innings, 53 hits allowed and 23 walks.

“I get it,” Johnson said. “My numbers weren’t good in 2019. I get why someone would get taken off the roster.

“But I wasn’t expecting it, no.”

Johnson has a previous relationship with , who is in his first year as Red Sox pitching coach but his fifth overall in the organization. Johnson had no such connection with chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, who was hired away from the Rays in late October. Johnson was outrighted to Triple-A Pawtucket less than a month later, one of several early roster moves made by Bloom.

“It kind of gives you that chip on your shoulder, a little bit of extra motivation,” Johnson said. “I don’t think there’s ever a time when you’re in the majors where you get complacent. I think having that happen really kind of lit a fire and showed I needed to improve something.”

Johnson featured a fastball-curveball- mix almost exclusively last season, leaving him exposed against right-handed hitters in particular. They racked up a 1.053 OPS against Johnson compared to the .688 OPS posted by left-handers. Johnson worked on his changeup during the offseason and hopes to use that pitch at least as an effective decoy this season.

“For me it was building a foundation of what works for me,” Johnson said. “It’s just little things, little ticks. I know, if I do this, it leaves me in position to make a better pitch.”

Kyle Hart came one out from escaping a pair of his innings with no damage done. Pillar slashed an RBI triple to right in the first and the bottom fell out a bit for the left-hander in the third. Bradley smoked a double off the Green Monster and Martinez followed with a long two-run homer onto Lansdowne Street. Pillar’s single and Jose Peraza’s double to the corner in left made it 4-0.

“We’re swinging the bat so well it’s hard to say where our pitching is at,” Roenicke said. “But I’m really pleased with the offense, too.”

Bradley in particular had himself a strong afternoon. He pushed a bunt single down the line at third his first time, defeating the overshift to the right side, and added another single his third time when he sent a grounder through the left side.

“He’s in a really good spot right now,” Roenicke said. “The conversations with him, he’s always got a smile on his face. He knows he’s at a point right now where if we open up the season he’d be very confident with where he’d be.”

Bradley’s two-run single came against Brandon Workman, who struggled in his second outing of camp. He allowed three base hits in his lone inning of work and was touched for multiple earned runs yet again.

“I would be more concerned if the ball wasn’t coming out of his hand well,” Roenicke said. “It’s location. The ball is coming out fine.”

Christian Vazquez knocked a leadoff single to center in the seventh against Osich, the first hit for the visitors. An unearned run broke up the abbreviated shutout bid.

Battle underway for second-base position

Bill Koch

BOSTON — Who will be the Red Sox starter at second base on ?

Michael Chavis and Jose Peraza are the primary candidates. They’ve essentially split reps at the position, with Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts and Mitch Moreland manning the other infield spots.

Chavis took ground balls at second prior to Sunday’s intrasquad game. Peraza was in the same position prior to Saturday’s contest. As of this weekend at least, Boston manager Ron Roenicke is noncommittal.

“I don’t really want to say that somebody is a starter and somebody is not,′ Roenicke said. “I think the thing when we signed Peraza was we knew he could play every day.”

Peraza certainly has more experience at the position despite being barely a year older than Chavis. He played 441 1/3 innings at second for the Reds in 2019 and, per FanGraphs, accounted for five defensive runs saved above average. Peraza played exclusively at shortstop for Cincinnati in 2018.

Peraza was nontendered by the Reds likely due to his inconsistent offensive production. He’s a career .273/.312/.374 hitter through 520 games, but those numbers dipped noticeably last season to .239/.285/.346. Peraza won’t be a free agent until 2023, giving the Red Sox two years of arbitration control if they wish to exercise it.

“We know he can play every day if we need him to play every day,” Roenicke said. “Then it just depends on how he does.”

Chavis flashed considerable offensive upside during his 2019 debut. He slashed .254/.322/.444 in 95 games before landing on the injured list in August due to a sprained left shoulder. More contact would be welcomed despite his significant power potential — Chavis struck out in 33.2% of his plate appearances as a rookie.

Chavis was drafted as a left-side infielder in 2014, a first-round pick by Boston out of a Georgia high school. He played mostly third base in the minor leagues before moving to the right side with Triple-A Pawtucket. Chavis played 360 innings at second base with the Red Sox last season and could also platoon at first base with Moreland.

“If Chavis is doing offensively what we saw at times last year, then he’s going to play a lot,” Roenicke said. “I think between the two guys we feel really confident in what they can do.”

A welcome return

Bobby Dalbec went through a full baseball workout Sunday morning at Fenway Park.

It was the Red Sox infield prospect’s first appearance at Summer Camp after recovering from the coronavirus. Dalbec checked in at Boston College on Saturday before joining the rest of the player pool here Sunday.

Dalbec took ground balls at first base and jumped in the cage for batting practice with the early infield group. His power was in evidence immediately — balls clattered off the advertising boards above the Green Monster and peppered the black tarp covering a portion of the bleachers in center field. Dalbec and his fellow reserves were off the field before noon — the seven-inning intrasquad game wasn’t scheduled to start until 2 p.m.

All players and staff members in relatively close proximity to Dalbec wore masks. C.J. Chatham was the lone exception while taking ground balls across the diamond at third base. Roenicke also had one on as he covered first base like a pitcher would for underhand flips.

SoxProspects.com ranks Dalbec the No. 5 player in the Red Sox system. He’s clubbed a combined 59 home runs across three levels over the last two seasons, including seven in just 30 games at Triple-A Pawtucket in 2019.

Getting their work in

As they’ve done throughout Summer Camp, Red Sox used batting practice on Sunday to put in some extra work on defense.

Andrew Benintendi, Alex Verdugo, J.D. Martinez and Kevin Pillar were among those flies while the infield group took swings in the cage. The traditional seven fields surrounding JetBlue Park in Fort Myers have been replaced by just Fenway Park and Boston College.

“A lot of our work was done on the back fields,” Pillar said. “Making that transition to part-time , part-time — getting comfortable with the dimensions out here — is something I’m starting to get more comfortable with.”

JetBlue and Fenway have the same outfield configuration, albeit with a shorter wall in left field. Florida’s hurricane building codes prohibited a solid 37-foot replica of the Green Monster, forcing architects to incorporate a span of netting about halfway up.

Pillar, having played his first 695 career games with the Blue Jays, knows the dimensions well. The former East rival has appeared in 47 games here, including 44 starts. Pillar, who was traded to the Giants last season, has only played in more games at his two primary home ballparks since his 2013 debut — Rogers Centre and .

“I’ve never been on this side of the wall, but I’ve been here many times,” Pillar said. “It’s a place where I have a lot of fond memories as a visiting player. I know that center field as well as anyone.”

Kevin Pillar making himself at home with Red Sox

Bill Koch

BOSTON --- As they’ve done throughout Summer Camp, Red Sox outfielders used batting practice on Sunday to put in some extra work on defense.

Andrew Benintendi, Alex Verdugo, J.D. Martinez and Kevin Pillar were among those shagging flies while the infield group took swings in the cage. The traditional seven fields surrounding JetBlue Park in Fort Myers have been replaced by just Fenway Park and Boston College.

“A lot of our work was done on the back fields,” Pillar said. “Making that transition to part-time center fielder, part-time right fielder – getting comfortable with the dimensions out here – is something I’m starting to get more comfortable with.”

JetBlue and Fenway have the same outfield configuration, albeit with a shorter wall in left field. Florida’s hurricane building codes prohibited a solid 37-foot replica of the Green Monster, forcing architects to incorporate a span of netting about halfway up.

Pillar, having played his first 695 career games with the Blue Jays, knows the dimensions well. The former American League East rival has appeared in 47 games here, including 44 starts. Pillar, who was traded to the Giants last season, has only played in more games at his two primary home ballparks since his 2013 debut – Rogers Centre and Oracle Park.

“I’ve never been on this side of the wall, but I’ve been here many times,” Pillar said. “It’s a place where I have a lot of fond memories as a visiting player. I know that center field as well as anyone.”

* MassLive.com

Boston Red Sox roster: Chaim Bloom, Ron Roenicke to discuss adding more players, possibly top prospects, to 60-man pool

Christopher Smith

The Boston Red Sox still have 10 open spots on their 60-player roster pool of eligible players for the 2020 regular season, which is 12 days away. The Sox open July 24 against the Orioles at Fenway Park.

Boston added its 50th player, left-handed pitcher Mike Kickham, on Saturday. More players could be added within the next couple of days.

The Red Sox wanted to wait for the coronavirus intake test results before committing to roster pool spots for top prospects who aren’t ready to play in the big leagues this summer. With the minor league season canceled, adding top prospects to the 60-player roster pool is a smart way to help continue their development. These prospects would have the chance to participate in intrasquad games with other pool players not on the active roster at Triple-A Pawtucket’s McCoy Stadium.

But chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom needed to make sure there weren’t too many positive tests before committing to spots for young, unready prospects. Four Red Sox players — Eduardo Rodriguez, Josh Taylor, Darwinzon Hernandez and Bobby Dalbec — tested positive. Dalbec has already returned. He worked out at Fenway Park on Sunday.

“Tomorrow we’re meeting with Chaim and going over that roster that is going to come in,” manager Ron Roenicke said on a Zoom call Sunday. “So I’ll know a lot more after tomorrow on how we feel. But we feel like all these guys that have tested positive (for coronavirus) are going to be back with us. And I think when that happens, we’ll be a lot more comfortable with the depth that we have. But it’s important to get those guys back and hopefully to not have them take too long to get back in shape and start throwing well.

Jeter Downs, Bryan Mata, , Jarren Duran, , and Thad Ward are among the top prospects in the organization who still need to develop more before reaching the big leagues but could receive spots.

Roenicke said June 29: “I know there’s a couple guys that I talked about, that I got to see in spring training that I thought, these are great looking players. They’re not ready for our team yet but those are guys that I really would like to play (in 2020) and get experience this year so they’re not set back for next year and we don’t lose them for really a year.”

The Red Sox recently signed free agent pitcher Caleb Simpson and added him to the player pool. And so Bloom could look to give a couple more of the remaining spots to players from outside the organization.

“We’ve talked about both ways in doing it,” Roenicke said when asked about adding top prospects and players from outside the organization.

60-man pool (at 50 players):

Pitcher (26): , , Colten Brewer, Austin Brice, Nathan Eovaldi, Matt Hall, Kyle Hart, Heath Hembree, Darwinzon Hernandez, Brian Johnson, Mike Kickham, Robinson Leyer, Chris Mazza, Collin McHugh, Josh Osich, Martín Pérez, Eduardo Rodriguez, Mike Shawaryn, Caleb Simpson, Jeffrey Springs, Domingo Tapia, Josh Taylor, Phillips Valdez, Marcus Walden, Ryan Weber, Brandon Workman

Catcher (6): Jett Bandy, Juan Centeno, Jonathan Lucroy, , Christian Vázquez,

Infielders (11): Jonathan Araúz, Xander Bogaerts, C.J. Chatham, Michael Chavis, Bobby Dalbec, Rafael Devers, Marco Hernández, Tzu-Wei Lin, Mitch Moreland, Yairo Muñoz, José Peraza

Outfielders (7): John Andreoli, Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., J.D. Martinez, Kevin Pillar, César Puello, Alex Verdugo

Boston Red Sox starting pitching is thin; Ron Roenicke ‘sure’ front office is looking at outside quality starters as 2020 season approaches

Christopher Smith

As it stands right now, Nathan Eovaldi will start the Red Sox’s 2020 opener, then Martin Perez, Ryan Weber and Brian Johnson will follow him in the rotation.

Those four starters have combined for a 4.55 ERA (1,952 innings, 987 earned runs) in 354 career starts.

The Red Sox still have not determined whether they will use a starter or opener for the fifth spot. The top candidates are Chris Mazza (0 major league starts), Matt Hall (0 major league starts), Jeffrey Springs (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 career starts), Kyle Hart (0 major league starts), Mike Shawaryn (0 major league starts) and Colten Brewer (0 major league starts).

The Red Sox clearly are thin on starting pitching entering a shortened 60-game season that begins July 24 at home against the Orioles.

Boston traded David Price to the Dodgers. Rick Porcello left for the Mets via free agency. Chris Sale will sit out 2020 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Eduardo Rodriguez, meanwhile, is recovering from coronavirus. He’s doubtful to begin the season on the active roster.

Collin McHugh (offseason non-surgical procedure for a flexor strain) won’t be ready for the start of the season either.

Don’t be surprised if chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom adds a starter via trade or free agency before training camp ends or early in the regular season.

Manager Ron Roenicke was asked Sunday if the Red Sox need to add outside help to their rotation.

“It’s hard to say that you’d ever feel really comfortable with all the starting pitching that you have,” Roenicke said during a Zoom call. “Rarely do you have six, seven, eight starters that you feel great about. And you know you’re not going to just use five guys. That just doesn’t happen in today’s game. So you’re never comfortable with enough starters. Certainly when I talk about our loss of a couple guys, it makes a big difference. Trade David (Price) and as I said, you lose Chris (Sale), Eddie we know will be back. Just a question of when. But anytime you lose that many starting pitchers, it’s hard to replace those guys. So of course, any starting pitching that’s out there that are quality starters, I’m sure that our people are looking at.”

Free agent options include Aaron Sanchez, Danny Salazar, Jason Vargas, Andrew Cashner, and . At this point, any free agent addition would be in the same position as Rodriguez and McHugh — unready to start the season on the Opening Day roster.

Top four starters to begin 2020 season:

Nathan Eovaldi (4.30 ERA in 160 starts): 890.1 innings, 425 earned runs.

Martin Perez (4.72 ERA in 157 starts): 895.1 innings, 470 earned runs.

Ryan Weber (5.96 ERA in 11 starts): 51.1 innings, 34 earned runs.

Brian Johnson (4.54 ERA in 26 starts): 115.0 innings, 58 earned runs.

Totals: 4.55 ERA, 354 starts, 1,952 innings, 987 earned runs.

J.D. Martinez homers again, Boston Red Sox DH could be home-run machine during shortened 60- game season in summer heat

Christopher Smith

Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez bashed another at Fenway Park on Sunday. He has two homers in four intrasquad games during summer training camp.

“J.D.‘s not a traditional fast starter so he’s always telling me, ‘I need as many at-bats as I can get because in spring training, it just takes me a long time,‘” manager Ron Roenicke said during a Zoom call after Sunday’s game. “I’m not seeing that right now. He’s really good. He’s going the other way. The offspeed, he’s pulling. He’s hit a couple home runs on them.”

Martinez said last week, “I’ve always grinded early and then just kind of get in the rhythm of things right in the middle of the season. So I told him (Roenicke), I need at-bats. So get me as many at-bats as you can.”

It should be interesting to see how many home runs Martinez belts during this year’s shortened 60-game schedule right in the middle of summer.

Martinez has a career .361 on-base percentage in March/April. But the cold weather has affected his early- season power. He has a career .489 slugging percentage in March/April compared to .533 in May, .561 in June, .540 in July, .584 in August and .500 in September.

Martinez faced a one week-stretch at Fenway Park in April 2018 where he crushed 10 balls with an exit velocity over 100 mph but only two left the park because of the brutal weather.

Martinez won’t have to deal with cold temperatures and strong winds that knock down home runs this season.

“I’m definitely not mad about it,” Martinez said. “That’s for sure. Those early months in Boston aren’t fun. That wind, that cold breeze, especially blowing in from right.”

Boston Red Sox’s Jackie Bradley Jr. beats shift with bunt; teams shifted against him 68.8% in 2019, this is a way to combat it

Christopher Smith

Boston Red Sox left-handed hitter Jackie Bradley Jr. successfully bunted against the shift during an intrasquad game Sunday at Fenway Park. He pushed a bunt single down to third base with nobody playing there.

Teams shifted against Bradley 68.8% of the time in 2019, an increase from 51.7% in 2018 and 33.4% in 2017, per Statcast.

Bunting is one way to combat against the shift.

“We’ve talked about him doing that,” manager Ron Roenicke said. “The thing he was saying is usually when they shift off him usually they keep that third baseman kind of at home there so he’s not able to do that. But I think any time they vacate that spot or move that third baseman over to short, I think Jackie’s pretty comfortable doing it.”

Bradley — who will be a free agent after the shortened 2020 season — stroked three hits, including a double, and knocked in two runs.

“He’s swinging the bat so well right now that I think he’s just confident in the whole game,” Roenicke said. “We know he plays a great defense, and we know right now, and in the first spring training, that he’s really swung the bat well. He’s going the other way well. And I think both the last two years when I was here, the difference between his first half and second half was when he started hitting the ball the other way. And as soon as he started going opposite field, the average started going up, the power started showing up. So we think that’s really important for him to do.”

* RedSox.com

Resilient lefty Johnson in mix to rejoin roster

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- When Brian Johnson was taken off the 40-man roster in November, he never felt more out of the mix with the Red Sox, the team that took him with a first-round selection in the 2012 Draft.

But after Johnson took the mound for Sunday’s intrasquad game at Fenway Park and threw three solid innings, he seems as in the mix as ever.

With Eduardo Rodriguez unlikely for the start of the season due to testing positive for COVID-19, the Red Sox have only three starters set for the rotation in Nathan Eovaldi, Martín Pérez and Ryan Weber.

The fifth spot is likely going to be an opener. Does manager Ron Roenicke think Johnson is in play for the fourth spot?

“Yes, I do,” Roenicke said. “We all do. Hopefully he continues [to progress]. We can build him up and then see where we are at the end.”

Sometimes you just have to ride out the twists and turns in baseball, and Johnson has already had his share.

Shortly after Johnson was drafted 31st overall by the Sox, he took a line drive to the face the first time he ever pitched at Fenway Park in a Minor League game. Shortly after his Major League debut in 2015, Johnson developed an elbow injury that derailed his momentum. In ‘16, he had to take a leave from baseball due to anxiety and depression.

A year later, Johnson was back at Fenway, throwing a five-hit shutout against the Mariners.

Through it all, Johnson has proven to be resilient. The 29-year-old lefty was sharp on Sunday, throwing 24 of 38 pitches for strikes.

“I feel great right now,” he said.

Looking back to November, Johnson admits it was a cold feeling to be taken off the roster.

“I would be lying if I said no,” he said. “It kind of gives you that chip on the shoulder, a little bit of extra motivation. Stuff like that. I don’t think there is ever a time when you’re in the Majors you get complacent. But having that happen lit a fire and showed I needed to prove something.”

These days, opportunity is knocking loudly on Boston’s pitching staff, and Johnson -- a non-roster invitee in Summer Camp -- just might seize it.

Even if he doesn’t land a rotation spot, there are bullpen spots open as well. Lefty relievers Josh Taylor and Darwinzon Hernandez also are recovering from COVID-19, leaving the Sox short on lefty arms in the ‘pen.

The 60-game season starts July 24, and Johnson would love to be part of the 30-man roster.

Last year was not good in any way for Johnson. He dealt with a left elbow issue in April that put him on the injured list on the first road trip of the season, then was shut down again and struggled with a baseball injury and one non-baseball medical issue that shelved him again in late June.

If the downtime wasn’t enough, Johnson didn’t pitch well when he was on the roster, going 1-3 with a 6.02 ERA in 21 appearances, seven of them starts.

Two years ago, Johnson was an instrumental piece for a World champion, making 13 starts and 25 relief appearances while recording a 4.17 ERA.

“Look, ’18 was a great year. ’19 wasn’t so much,” he said. “I got hurt the second series of the year, and then I had other stuff happen during the year where I had to miss some time. Basing [the removal from the roster] off of 2019 that wasn’t really me at times. … So I get it, my numbers weren’t good in 2019, so I get why someone would get taken off the roster, but I wasn’t expecting it, no.”

All that is in the past. On Sunday, Johnson looked like a guy who could still have a future in Boston.

“Good stuff today, good location, mixed up his fastball well up and down,” Roenicke said. “I think when he was good two years ago we saw a lot of high fastballs that he really hit that spot well. And he mixed in a lot of changeups today, had a real nice changeup. It’s hard to say this early what the difference is between this year and last year, but we really liked the way he threw the ball today.”

Notes: JBJ confident; McHugh's rehab continues

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- If the streaky Jackie Bradley Jr. times things right, his walk year could wind up being a pretty successful one.

The 2020 regular season will be 60 games, and Bradley, the starting center fielder for the Red Sox, seems poised to get off to a good start. And if he does that, perhaps the shorter season can help him avoid those prolonged cold streaks that have dogged him in the past.

Bradley was one of Boston’s hottest hitters before Spring Training got shut down, hitting .414 with two homers and five RBIs in Grapefruit League action.

And while the Red Sox aren’t keeping stats during intrasquad games, Bradley continues to swing the bat well and carry himself with confidence. Manager Ron Roenicke, who has known Bradley for three years now, senses that he’s in a good place, mentally and physically.

“He’s swinging the bat so well right now that I think he’s just confident in the whole game,” Roenicke said. “We know he plays great defense, and we know right now, and in the first Spring Training, that he’s really swung the bat well and he’s going the other way.

“I think the last few years when I was here, the difference between his first half and second half was when he started hitting the ball the other way, and as soon as he started going opposite field, the average started going up and the power started showing up, so we think that’s really important for him to do.”

In 2019, Bradley hit .225, but he had 21 homers. As someone who hits in the lower third of the , the Red Sox don’t need Bradley to carry the offense. They just need him to contribute.

And if Bradley gets hot, as he’s done at times in the past, all the better.

“With Jack, you can see the confidence he has,” Roenicke said. “It took me a while probably to get to know Jackie. The first year, I was new and trying to get to know everybody. Last year, I felt really good with communication with him, opening up and telling me where he’s at. He’s at a really good spot right now. He’s always got a smile on his face."

Lin gets crash course at first Roenicke and his staff had a brainstorm for Sunday’s Summer Camp workout to try the already versatile Tzu-Wei Lin at first base for the intrasquad game.

Lin handled the assignment well, making a couple of strong picks. The left-handed hitter from Taiwan has already played second base, third base, shortstop and center field in his three seasons for the Red Sox.

Adding another position could make Lin more valuable. And with Brock Holt no longer around, Lin has a bigger opportunity to stick on the Major League roster.

“Any time a utility man can play all positions, it increases his value,” Roenicke said. If he shows that he can play first base like he does all the other positions, we’ve got a valuable player that we know is a good defender. And it helps us in different situations.”

McHugh still in ‘rehab’ phase It doesn’t sound as if right-handed swingman Collin McHugh will be ready for the start of the season. Recovering from a flexor strain in his elbow that he sustained last season, McHugh has been throwing bullpen sessions, but he hasn’t faced hitters yet.

“I’ve talked to [trainer] Brad [Pearson] about him, talked to [pitching coach] Dave Bush about him [Saturday],” Roenicke said. “He’s just not at a point where we feel he can start throwing live BPs and things. Brad told me, ‘He’s really still on a rehab program, so don’t feel like there’s a progression here like you’d normally do with a healthy guy in Spring Training. Just leave it as he’s still rehabbing, and once we get to that spot where we know he’s really confident in his long toss and he plays catch every day, then we’ll try to progress there.’"

Monday plan With the Boston area expected to get some rain on Monday, Roenicke switched the intrasquad game from 2 p.m. ET to 10:30 a.m. ET.

Unlike Sunday, when the squads played seven innings, Roenicke expects a short three-inning contest on Monday with no defenders.

Starting on Friday, the Red Sox will start playing their intrasquad games at night to get acclimated to the regular-season schedule.

* NBC Sports Boston

Ron Roenicke sheds light on plans for Red Sox starting rotation

Justin Leger

The Boston Red Sox starting rotation is going to look a lot different during the shortened 2020 season.

With Chris Sale out due to Tommy John surgery and David Price now on the , left- hander Eduardo Rodriguez will be counted on to anchor the pitching staff. Then, it'll be Nathan Eovaldi and newcomer Martin Perez in the No. 2 and 3 spots.

After that are are a couple of question marks. Right-hander Collin McHugh, who signed a one-year deal with Boston in March, likely will miss some time to begin the season as he continues to rehab his injured elbow. That leaves the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation wide open.

After the team's intrasquad scrimmage Sunday, manager Ron Roenicke told reporters that southpaw Brian Johnson is a candidate for the No. 4 spot and he may roll with an "opener" in the No. 5 slot.

So in order, the starting rotation to begin the season would be:

1. Eduardo Rodriguez 2. Nathan Eovaldi 3. Martin Perez 4. Brian Johnson 5. Opener/TBD

Right-hander Ryan Weber is expected to be in the mix as well, but how he'll fit into the rotation remains to be seen.

It definitely doesn't look like pitching will be a strength for Boston in its 60-game campaign. Making matters even more difficult is Rodriguez's positive COVID-19 test, which could further complicate things to start the season.

Opening Day for the Red Sox is scheduled for July 24 vs. the at Fenway Park.

* BostonSportsJournal.com

Red Sox Notebook: Brian Johnson looks for bounce-back season

Sean McAdam

Lefty Brian Johnson is trying to get himself into the picture for the Red Sox after a disappointing 2019 season, followed by a winter in which the team removed him from their 40-man roster.

Johnson tossed three innings in Sunday’s scrimmage and acknowledged being outrighted was a surprise and served to provide him with incentive.

“I’d be lying if I said no,” said Johnson. “It kind of gives you that chip on the shoulder, kind of a little bit of extra motivation, stuff like that. I don’t think there’s ever a time when you’re in the majors to get complacent. But I think having that happen really kind of lit a fire and showed that I needed to prove something.”

Johnson was a big contributor in 2018, but saw his performance decline in 2019 (6.02 ERA in 21 appearances) sandwiched around a couple of lengthy IL stays.

“(The) 2018 (season) was a great year, ’19 wasn’t so much,” Johnson said. “I got hurt in the second series of the year and then I had other stuff happen (gastrointestinal issues) during the year where I had to miss some time. So basing it off 2019, that wasn’t really me at times because I was coming off (the IL) twice. I get it — my numbers weren’t good in 2019. So I get why someone would be get taken off the roster, but I wasn’t expecting it, no.”

Manager Ron Roenicke said Johnson is a candidate for the fourth spot in the rotation, one that’s become available with the absence of Eduardo Rodriguez.

“Hopefully he continues and we build him up and see where we are at the end,” said Roenicke.

Johnson and pitching coach Dave Bush are working on “little things, little tics. I know if I do (a certain thing), it leaves me in a better position to make a better pitch. So, whether it’s lead arm or making your arm a little shorter, mixing in your changeup more to have something go to the outside part of the plate instead of coming in on righties. … It’s trying to make something that works for me and knowing when to mix it up and go with that.” ______

In an effort to make him more useful, the Red Sox used Tzu-Wei Lin at first base during the scrimmage, and despite one instance of poor communication with Johnson on a grounder hit to the right side, acquitted himself well, digging some balls out of the dirt. Lin had never so much as worked out at first until Sunday morning,

“I was really happy with the way he played today,” said Roenicke. “I think you see, when a guy goes to a spot for the first time, you see whether he’s uncomfortable. I know he missed the last ball hit to him, but he made some good picks. I know he’s going to field the ball well. It’s a question of figuring out how to get to first base in a hurry and get your body turned around and your foot on the bag. Once he learns to do that, I think he’ll be really good there.

“Anytime a utility man can play all positions, it increases his value.” ______

Roenicke has been impressed with infielder Yairo Munoz, whom the Red Sox signed after he left the St. Louis Cardinals this past spring. In 2018, Munoz had a .763 OPS and hit eight homers in just 293 at-bats. Munoz can play all three outfield spots and most of the infield positions.

“He can move all around,”; said Roenicke, “So you have a guy who offensively, if he’s swinging well, you know you can stick him in there defensively to fill in some spots. You know he’s going to do a good job, but he’s going to continue to swing the bat.” ______

With rain in the forecast Monday afternoon, the Red Sox will play a shorter intrasquad game, beginning at 10:30 a.m. … On Friday, the Sox intend to move their workouts to the evening. … Bobby Dalbec went through his first full workout after missing a week following a positive COVID-19 test. Roenicke indicated Dalbec isn’t yet built up enough to take part in an intrasquad game. … Roenicke said Collin McHugh (offseason elbow surgery) is still not ready to pitch in games or live batting practice sessions as the Sox take precautions with his rehab.

How the Red Sox could hack the new extra-inning rule

Sean McAdam

Earlier this week, Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke indicated he was starting to think about the new rule, instituted for the 2020 season, which will place a baserunner on second base to start every extra inning.

The rule is designed to shorten the length of games that go into extra innings, on the theory that, with all the risks being undertaken by teams, no one wants a 16-inning marathon that lasts 5.5 hours. Such contests would increase the risks of exposure for players and also heighten the chance of injuries due to fatigue.

Roenicke said he had read a study about the best way to approach the new rule. Does it make sense to bunt the runner over and hope that a flyball can score the go-ahead/winning run? How will strategies differ on the road as opposed to being at home?

These are all things managers will have to explore. Roenicke said he would be consulting with Pawtucket manager Billy McMillon and others in the system, since the rule was already in place in the minors.

All of which got me to thinking about ways in which teams could beat the system. And I came up with one that the Sox — and other teams — might consider.

One of the aspects of the rule hasn’t been discussed much is that the player making the final out in the previous inning will be the baserunner placed at second the following inning. (This is done, obviously, to ensure that the player on base won’t have his turn at the plate come up).

So, let’s envision the following scenario: the Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles are tied on Opening Night, July 24, 3-3 as the Sox head into the bottom of the ninth.

The first two hitters are retired, bringing up, say, Jackie Bradley Jr. with two outs and the bases empty. Although Bradley has some decent power, he’s not the biggest threat to win the game with one swing of the bat. So, the Red Sox could choose to have outfielder Jarren Duran pinch-hit for Bradley.

(For the time being, Duran isn’t part of the Red Sox’ player pool, but there are still 10 vacancies on the list and nearly two weeks remaining in which to address that. And having played at Double-A in 2019, it’s not as if Duran is light years away from the major leagues. In fact, there are some projections that if the Red Sox don’t/won’t re-sign Bradley this winter, Duran could be in line to be the team’s center fielder in 2021.)

Duran is quite possibly the speediest player in the organization, or at least in the upper levels of the organization. He’s stolen 70 bases in two years in pro ball, including 46 in 59 tries last year, split between High-A Salem and Portland. And anyway, as you’ll see, we’re not looking for ability here — just raw speed. Duran has plenty of the latter.

Whether Duran gets on base in his pinch-hit appearance is almost irrelevant. If he does, his stolen base capability could come in handy. If he steals successfully, he’s in , poised to score a winning run on a single. And if he gets thrown out, well, he’s made the final out of the inning, and as such, becomes the team’s designated runner for the bottom of the 10th. The same scenario holds if he’s retired at the plate — Duran, the fastest option on the roster, starts the bottom of the next inning just 180 feet from the plate.

As an added bonus, Duran was drafted as a , meaning he could conceivably be used in the same capacity with either Jose Peraza or slow-footed Michael Chavis.

There are other ways to maximize Duran’s speed, too. If you wanted to give Bradley (or anyone else) a chance to win the game with one swing, you could allow him to hit and then insert Duran as the pinch- runner with explicit instructions to take off on the first pitch. Again, the same scenario would be in place: a successful steal means the potential winning run would be in scoring position, or better yet, at third, if the batter hit a double.

Finally, you could allow Bradley to hit, and if he makes the final out, replace him defensively in the next half inning, so again, Duran’s spot would mean that he would be the designated runner the following inning.

Naturally, there are some potential problems here. For one thing, do the Red Sox really want to use one of their 30-man spots to someone who hasn’t yet demonstrated the ability to contribute at the big league level? For another, how many times will this scenario come into play? Is it worth it to assign a roster spot to someone who might only help on the occasions when the team is forced into extra-innings?

Well, consider that the Red Sox played 17 extra-inning games in 2019, or just a hair more than one every 10 games. If that same percentage were to hold this season, that would translate into six extra-inning games for 2020.

If Duran (or someone similar) could be the difference in four or five those games, could that mean the difference between contending and pretending? Perhaps.

In the mid-1970s, the Oakland A’s took the innovative approach of carrying Herb Washington on their roster exclusively as a pinch-runner. Washington got into 105 games over the two seasons, but never collected a single at-bat or logged a single inning in the field. His speed, however, allowed him to steal 31 bases, and more importantly, score 33 runs — all as a pinch-runner.

The 2020 season could be wacky enough to borrow this strategy again.

* The Athletic

A solution for Red Sox starting woes? Brian Johnson hopes he has one

Jen McCaffrey

When lefthander Brian Johnson was outrighted to Triple-A Pawtucket in November and taken off the 40- man roster, it took him completely by surprise.

He knew he’d had a rough season in 2019 with two stints on the injured list, but he wasn’t expecting that kind of demotion.

“I would be lying if I said no,” he said on Sunday. “It kind of gives you that chip on the shoulder, a little bit of extra motivation. Stuff like that. I don’t think there is ever a time when you’re in the majors you get complacent. But having that happen lit a fire and showed I needed to prove something.”

Now he might have his second chance.

Johnson took a big step toward convincing the Red Sox he should earn one of the spots in Boston’s precarious rotation. On Sunday, the lefty retired nine of 10 batters he faced over three hitless innings in an intrasquad game. His only blemish was a walk.

The Red Sox rotation has faced its share of uncertainty since David Price was traded to the Dodgers in February and Chris Sale went down with Tommy John surgery in May.

Eduardo Rodriguez is still absent from the team after a positive COVID-19 test and is not expected to be ready for the start of the season on July 24. That means that not only do the Red Sox need fourth and fifth starters to join Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Perez, but they’ll need a third starter too, at least at the outset.

“We’re hoping we can find a fourth (starter),” manager Ron Roenicke said. “We talked about B.J. I know B.J. has done it in the past for us. Two years ago he did a really nice job and we’re hoping he can do the same thing.”

Ryan Weber is in the mix, as is Jeffrey Springs, Josh Osich, Chris Mazza, Austin Brice and Matt Hall. Marcus Walden will also be able to provide bulk innings in the middle. But Johnson has the most starting experience in the majors of that group with 26 starts in 65 career games.

Roenicke also said the Sox may look for help outside the team.

“It’s hard to say you ever feel really comfortable with all the starting pitching you have,” the manager said.

“So of course, any starting pitching that’s out there, quality starters, I’m sure our people are looking at it.”

Earlier this year when he came to spring training as a non-roster invitee, the work was already underway. In five games in Florida, including two starts, he gave up four runs on eight hits over 9 1/3 innings, while striking out nine and walking four.

“For me it was building a foundation of what works for me,” he said of trying to regain the reliability he had during the 2018 season. “It’s just little things. Little ticks. If I do this, it leaves me in a better position to make a better pitch. Whether it’s dead arm or making your arm a little shorter, mixing your changeup more to have something to go the outside part of the plate instead of everything coming back in to righties, so just finding a sequence that works for me and when to mix it up and when to go with that.”

Johnson spent the last few months at home in Florida throwing to his best friend at his local high school. He had a plan from pitching coach Dave Bush and tried to simulate game situations as much as possible.

“The first (few weeks) it was just playing catch then it was like maybe we should start throwing ‘pens,” Johnson said. “Then I kind of got a sense, when things were starting I would do simulated innings to where I would throw 25 to 35 pitches then sit down for 10 minutes then get back up and throw another 20. So I was built up to almost three innings before I got here.”

Johnson threw a live batting practice last week, his first time facing hitters since March, but on Sunday he was able to really work on the changeup where he’d left off in spring training.

“Yeah I threw it a bit today. I felt really good,” he said. “I didn’t throw it my first live BP as much just because it was my first time facing hitters since my last start in spring training so I really wanted to get a feel for the mound and see hitters in the box. But today I felt a lot more comfortable throwing it.”

With less than two weeks before the regular season starts, Johnson will get at least a few more starts to prove he’s capable of earning one of those spots.