The Tuesday, May 18, 2021

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Red Sox plan to increase roster versatility soon with promotion of

Alex Speier

Man-for-all-positions Danny Santana could join the Red Sox roster as soon as the current six-game road trip.

Santana has .364/.423/.682 with two homers, a double, and a steal in six games with High A Greenville and A Worcester. He has played , second, third, left, and center in those half-dozen contests.

“He’s almost there,” manager said. “We’ve been moving him around all over the place. He’s moving well.

“This is a guy, gives us another alternative. Let’s see where it takes us. We feel good about where he’s at, not only physically, but as a hitter and as a player.”

Santana, 30, had an April 30 opt-out in his minor league deal, but he and the Red Sox agreed to push that date into May when the start of his season was delayed by a foot infection in . He’ll remain in Worcester at least through Tuesday, but his ability to move all over the field and switch-hit could prove particularly valuable during Boston’s weekend series against , during which rules will be in effect (with no designated hitter).

In 2019, Santana hit .283/.324/.534 with 28 homers and 21 steals in 130 games for the Rangers. But in 2020, while limited to 15 games by an elbow injury that ultimately required modified John surgery in September, his numbers slid to .145/.278/.273.

The Sox signed him in spring training — while he was still working his way back from the surgery — to a minor league deal that included a prorated $1.75 million big league salary. Though Santana was slowed by the foot infection, both his foot and elbow have recovered to the point where he’s likely to help in the big leagues in the near future.

The presence of Santana along with Kiké Hernández (expected back from his hamstring injury Tuesday) and Marwin Gonzalez would give the Red Sox three of the most versatile players in the game.

Outfield assistance

During a big league career that spanned parts of 14 seasons from 1991-2004, Red Sox /first base Tom Goodwin jokingly suggests, he modeled his outfield play on an icon from another sport.

Goodwin described himself as “a guy who didn’t have a strong arm at all — I think I had maybe two in my career. I was like Shaq with assists.”

Goodwin was being a bit unfair to himself — he had 34 career assists — and Shaquille O’Neal, whose 299 assists in 1999-2000 are the third-most by a 7-footer in the last 25 years. That said, it’s safe to say that neither Goodwin nor O’Neal delivered assists at the eye-catching pace of this year’s Red Sox outfield.

The Sox lead the majors with 13 outfield assists (entering Monday, no other team had more than 10). Hunter Renfroe has been particularly dazzling, with five assists from right field — tied for the most by any this season.

In addition to his arm, Renfroe also has shown impressive range. He is tied for the lead among right fielders with eight defensive runs saved (per Baseball Information Solutions) while MLB.com ranks him the fourth- best right fielder with two outs above average (a metric that evaluates only his range and not his arm).

“He’s been marvelous — not just throwing,” said Goodwin. “He’s almost a center fielder playing right field. He communicates a lot as far as the positioning goes. He’s just done a great job being a leader out there.”

Goodwin said that Renfroe’s pregame work was reminiscent of that of former Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.

Araúz to Worcester

With Hernández set to come off the injured list, the Red Sox optioned Jonathan Araúz to Worcester after Sunday’s game. Araúz is 2 for 8 with a double and two walks in four big league games this year. Hernández, serving as the team’s primary center fielder while also seeing a half-dozen games at second base, is hitting .239/.298/.425 with four homers and 12 extra-base hits in 30 games … After Monday’s off- day, the Red Sox are set to open their lone series in Dunedin, Fla., Tuesday. The Blue Jays are still playing home games at their spring training venue, TD Ballpark, but when the Red Sox next play them on the road in July, the Jays will have migrated north to in Buffalo. They aren’t permitted to host games in under COVID-19 travel restrictions … The Red Sox will face Jays ace Hyun Jin Ryu in the opener Tuesday. The lefty is coming off his best start of the season (7 innings, 1 , 6 ) in a 4-1 win against the Braves last Wednesday.

A decade in, finally embraced a plan of attack. The result? He’s been better for the Red Sox now than ever before

Alex Speier

It’s been almost exactly 10 years since the future formed in front of Matt Barnes’s eyes.

On May 7, 2011, the UConn righthander dominated the University of South at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Conn. Over eight innings, he allowed one run while striking out 10 in a 2-1 victory.

Barnes possessed a typically electric fastball that night. Red Sox area scout Ray Fagnant noted that throughout his 2011 season at UConn, Barnes almost always showed his top-end velocity of 97-98 miles per hour in his final inning of work, and that outing was no different. Moreover, against USF, Barnes flashed what Fagnant described in his report of that game as a “separator” — a power curve that locked up hitters.

“Solid all year,” Fagnant wrote in his report, “but this was the outing we waited to see.”

The Sox weren’t the only ones who saw something that game. Barnes recognized Fagnant was not alone as a Red Sox representative in the stands — that he’d been accompanied by Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein.

Barnes also knew that Epstein had seen him before. The previous summer, in the Cape League, Epstein and a phalanx of Red Sox front office members made a trip to see Barnes pitch against 2010 Red Sox draftee — an outing in which Barnes struck out 14 over seven innings.

Barnes believed his future was pointing him in the direction of the Red Sox at the No. 19 pick of the first round in the draft.

“There’s no such thing as certainty in the draft or this line of work,” remembered Barnes, “but I felt pretty certain that for the Red Sox, if I got there I was going to get taken.”

Thirty days , on June 6, 2011, Fagnant — representing the Red Sox at the MLB Draft in Secaucus, N.J. — sat on a bus outside his hotel, surrounded by Hall of Fame players waiting to head to MLB Network Studios for the event.

He received a call from Red Sox amateur scouting director Amiel Sawdaye, who asked him to find a place where he could speak privately to those in the team’s draft room.

“The area guy is not going to determine who we take up high, but I potentially determine who we don’t take,” explained Fagnant. “[Sawdaye] said, ‘Matt Barnes — speak now or forever hold your peace. Are you on board?’ I said, ‘Absolutely. Ability is one thing. That’s the easy part to scout. But the character, absolutely — I’m completely on board.’”

In a way, that night — in which UConn was playing Clemson for the right to advance to an NCAA Super Regional — offered another fitting harbinger of Barnes’ future. The righthander had been a starter all season, but wasn’t slated to pitch that night given that he’d started a few days earlier.

But before that game, he approached UConn coach Jim Penders.

“I said, ‘If this game is close in the eighth or ninth, give me the ball,’” Barnes said.

The offer proved unnecessary, as the Huskies won in a blowout, but it served as a fitting prelude for the career that has followed. Barnes found out mid-game that he’d been taken by the Sox, and took a moment both to appreciate and find amusement in the development.

“It was kind of crazy to me, having grown up a Yankees fan,” said the Bethel, Conn., native. “I found out I’d been drafted by the Red Sox and thought, ‘Well, isn’t that funny?’ But it’s been incredible here.”

A full circle decade

Barnes has been many things to the Red Sox over the past decade. He is the last member of that franchise- changing draft class of 2011 — from which nine big leaguers have emerged, including , Jackie Bradley Jr., and — to remain with the Sox, a status that serves as a testament to the way the organization has valued his contributions.

Foremost, Barnes has been ready whenever asked to pitch in the late innings, typically unassuming and often overshadowed yet steadily valuable over the course of 344 big league regular season appearances (eighth most all time by a Sox ) that have mostly come against the heart of opposing teams’ lineups. He was also the team’s most reliable reliever in the 2018 October championship run.

“You almost take him for granted,” said Fagnant. “But he’s etched himself as a lifelong Red Sox and a huge part of this franchise.”

In 2021, however, he’s gone from solid contributor to late-innings dominator. Even with his loss against the Angels on Sunday, Barnes has been elite, holding opponents to a .118 average and .376 OPS while striking out nearly half of the hitters he’s faced (49.3 percent) and slashing his walk rate from a career standard of 10.9 percent entering the year to 4.2 percent this season.

Embracing a plan

In some ways, Barnes this year is fulfilling what many believed he could become early in his minor league career. At the start of his pro career in 2012 with the Single-A and High-A , Barnes took an old school approach to success, as when he struck out 12 batters in a start right after his promotion to Salem — all on swing-and-miss fastballs.

But even as he finally found a curveball grip that allowed him to command the pitch, he never developed a third pitch to round out a starter’s mix. Still, a National League scout surmised that Barnes had a special fastball that could beat hitters in different parts of the strike zone in a way reminiscent of former Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon.

Until 2021, Barnes hadn’t embraced such a plan of attack.

“My philosophy had been I can punch out three before I walk four —especially as the rate increased,” he said.

But he recognized that the walks made him too vulnerable to an inning getting out of hand on the strength of events he might not be able to control — a run-scoring blooper, for instance.

So Barnes recalibrated this year and went on the attack. He’s thrown 72.4 percent strikes this year — up from 61.6 percent entering the year — while increasing his first-pitch strike rate from 57.9 percent to 74.6 percent.

In so doing, Barnes has been more dominant than at any other time in his career. It is not lost on him that he’s doing so in his final season before his eligibility for free agency, but he’s found a mindset to avoid getting lost in the uncertainty of his future.

“I’m not worrying about numbers, not worrying about, ‘OK, I’m a free agent after this year and have to play well to get the contract I want,’” said Barnes. “When you’re younger, you worry about getting sent down, making money, all these things. But I’m at the point now where I’m just going to go out there, attack with my stuff, execute with my pitches, and I’m going to trust that it’s going to work out.”

Such a hakuna matata approach, after all, served Barnes well a decade ago, as he thought about the possibility of his professional future. Even as he viewed the Red Sox as a likely landing spot, it would have been hard for him to anticipate that 10 years later, he’d still be with them — and performing at the highest level of his career.

“It’s been a wild ride,” said Barnes. “I’ve experienced a lot of really special moments through the 10 years. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have played this long in the big leagues and hopefully I can continue to play longer.”

Fenway Park, TD Garden to allow full capacity beginning May 29

Katie McInerney

Massachusetts’s largest sports venues will welcome fans with no capacity limit beginning May 29, state officials announced Monday.

The lifting of all COVID-19 restrictions coincides with Governor Charlie Baker’s announcement that the state is on track to vaccinate 4.1 million residents by the first week of June, and it accelerates a previously set timeline by more than two months.

Boston is following the state’s lead. Per a spokesperson for Acting Mayor Kim Janey, and TD Garden will reopen with no capacity restrictions starting May 29.

Sam Kennedy, Red Sox president and CEO, said in a statement that the team is looking forward to welcoming back the full complement of fans for games and concerts at Fenway Park, which seats 37,731 for games when sold out.

“We are excited to see Boston’s vibrancy restored and get back to the full energy of our ballpark and the Fenway neighborhood in the weeks ahead,” Kennedy said.

The first Red Sox home game that’s not subjected to capacity limits will be a 4:10 p.m. matchup against the May 29.

Gillette Stadium in Foxborough expects to be at full capacity for events. The next Revolution home match, on May 22, will be held under the current protocols. The following Revolution home match (June 23 vs. the Red Bulls) will be under the new guidelines.

Gillette will host the Premier League’s opening tournament from June 4-6, featuring five games at full lacrosse capacity.

TD Garden spokeswoman Tricia McCorkle said in a statement to the Globe that the new guidance is “great news” and that the venue is coordinating with the NBA and NHL to update guidelines, with more information to come at a later date.

But by the time TD Garden opens up fully (it seats 19,580), it may be too late to see the city’s teams.

If the Celtics beat the Washington Wizards Tuesday night, they will earn a spot in the NBA playoffs as the No. 7 seed and will face the No. 2 Nets. If they lose, they need to win one more game Thursday night to earn the No. 8 seed and face a first-round matchup with the top-seeded 76ers. The Bruins lost the opener of their first-round playoff series against the Capitals. If they advance, they’ll face the winner of the other East Division series between the Islanders and Penguins in front of a potential full house at the Garden.

The state had upped capacity limits from 12 to 25 percent last week at stadiums.

Youth sports

Effective on May 18, athletes 18 and under will no longer be required to wear masks while playing outdoor sports. Effective May 29, all restrictions on youth and amateur sports will be lifted.

In a statement, the MIAA’s director of communications Tara Bennett said that masks will still be required for high school sports under the organization’s jurisdiction but that things are changing quickly.

* The

Fenway Park to return to full capacity on May 29, Red Sox ‘excited see Boston’s vibrancy restored’ Red Sox host Marlins on May 29

Steve Hewitt

The Red Sox will be playing in front of sold-out crowds at Fenway Park again this season — and much sooner than expected.

After Gov. Charlie Baker announcement earlier Monday that COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted across starting on May 29 — and Boston Mayor Kim Janey’s decision to align with the state — the Red Sox made the exciting and long-awaited announcement late on Monday afternoon that Fenway Park will return to full capacity on May 29.

The Red Sox will play three more games at Fenway at 25 percent capacity before their game on May 29 against the Miami Marlins. The return to full capacity comes exactly 20 months since the last time a full crowd was allowed to see a Red Sox game at Fenway, on Sept. 29, 2019.

“Today’s update to the reopening plan will allow Fenway Park to begin operating at full capacity beginning on May 29 for games and concerts throughout the summer,” Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy said in a statement. “We thank Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito, Mayor Janey and the numerous public health officials who have been extraordinary partners guiding us every step of the way.

“A year ago, the Governor and his team set forth a roadmap for the safe reopening of the Commonwealth. It is because of the administration’s steadfast leadership and intentional planning that we are now able to lift restrictions and limits put into place over 15 months ago to keep our community safe.

“In the City of Boston, Mayor Janey’s leadership has made this day possible. Less than two months into her tenure, she has overseen the safe return to normal operations in our city. We are excited to see Boston’s vibrancy restored and get back to the full energy of our ballpark and the Fenway neighborhood in the weeks ahead.”

The Red Sox posted on Twitter that tickets for Memorial Day weekend games will go on sale Tuesday, May 18 at 10 a.m. at redsox.com/tickets.

After playing a shortened 2020 season without fans, the Red Sox have been playing in front of a reduced capacity at Fenway Park to begin 2021. They started the season at 12 percent before increasing to 25 percent last Tuesday against the A’s. Their biggest crowd so far this year came on Saturday, when 9,374 fans watched the Red Sox’ 9-0 win over the Angels.

Manny Machado’s legal but dangerous slide into Tommy Edman’s ankle raises questions

Jason Mastrodonato

Here’s what baseball doesn’t need: the interrupting their incredibly enjoyable takeover of the sport because of a stupid play that could’ve ended a guy’s season, if not career.

Manny Machado technically did nothing wrong on Sunday night.

He got caught in between first and second with a defender running at him, so he slid directly into the left ankle of Cardinals Tommy Edman, breaking up any double-play opportunity while narrowly avoiding a gruesome injury.

The play was legal. The Cardinals looked at the for a second, wondered if it was interference (it wasn’t), and moved on. Machado checked on Edman, they tapped each other as if to say, “no problem,” and then shook it off.

Major league players, current and former, went on social media to defend Machado. One of his current Padres coaches, former Cardinals infielder Skip Schumaker, told MLB.com that Machado executed the play exactly as he was taught.

Maybe that in itself is the problem here.

Machado could’ve snapped Edman’s ankle. The longtime Orioles superstar began his slide with his right foot, which he pointed directly at Edman’s left ankle. Even after watching the replay from every angle, it’s hard to tell if Machado went in with his spikes or hit the ground before he caught Edman’s foot. Either way, it was close to resulting in a nasty injury.

The question is not if Machado is a dirty player. There are videos of him roll-blocking Orlando Arcia, spiking , kicking Jesus Aguilar, throwing his helmet at Josh Donaldson and throwing his bat at Fernando Abad to help someone make up their mind on that one.

A better question is why has gone to great lengths to reduce injuries at second base, but teams are still teaching their players to slide into any defenders in their way while running from first to second? Is that really the most efficient method of interrupting the play?

This isn’t to imply right or wrong; merely a question worth asking as we look to protect the next generation of young stars and keep the most talented players on the field.

If it wasn’t Edman, but a superstar middle infielder who had his ankle nearly destroyed by Machado’s slide on Sunday night, there might have been a different reaction across the game on Monday.

Oftentimes you’ll see the runner freeze, or turn around and run back to first to best interrupt the second baseman in that spot. It forces the defender to chase the runner back to first or throw to one of the bags. With this method, there’s little chance of injury, no chance of being called of obstruction and a greater likelihood of delaying a double play.

That the Padres are teaching their players to slide into any fielders in their path seems counterintuitive to Rule 6.01(j), which was put in place in 2015 to limit injuries at second:

Rule 6.01(j): If a runner does not engage in a bona fide slide, and initiates (or attempts to make) contact with the fielder for the purpose of breaking up a double play, he should be called for interference under this Rule 6.01. A “bona fide slide” for purposes of Rule 6.01 occurs when the runner:

(1) begins his slide (i.e., makes contact with the ground) before reaching the base;

(2) is able and attempts to reach the base with his hand or foot;

(3) is able and attempts to remain on the base (except home plate) after completion of the slide; and

(4) slides within reach of the base without changing his pathway for the purpose of initiating contact with a fielder.

Machado appears to have violated a few of these, but he technically wasn’t sliding into second base, so there was no obstruction.

Cardinals pitcher Kwang Hyun Kim looked frustrated.

“I thought the one on Machado going to second base, that was baserunning interference, but it was safe at first base,” Kim told reporters after the game.

On the ESPN broadcast, Alex Rodriguez, a shortstop and during his career, said definitively that it wasn’t a dirty play. Former players Adam Jones and Trevor Plouffe were among those to agree with Rodriguez via social media.

If it’s illegal for a runner to take out a fielder’s legs near second, why is it perfectly fine to do it 20 feet before the bag?

It was just four years ago that Machado’s spikes-up slide into Pedroia’s leg essentially ruined his career. Pedroia, who officially retired this year, said he’s “not upset about anything anymore.”

He didn’t seem terribly mad at Machado at the time, either. When Matt Barnes threw near Machado’s head, Pedroia infamously appeared to yell, “it’s not me, it’s them,” towards the Orioles .

Machado has since been involved in some other controversies. Sunday, he was simply doing what he was coached to do.

Illegal or not, it was the kind of dangerous play that could’ve altered a player’s career.

The Padres don’t need that. MLB doesn’t need it, either.

Red Sox reinstate direct funding to Massachusetts Little League teams

Meghan Ottolini

Play ball!

The Red Sox Foundation is inviting Massachusetts Little League teams to apply for $500 stipends to support their pint-sized sluggers, reversing course after the Herald reported they were pulling the funding in early April.

“With the feedback, what we’ve decided to do is double down our investment this year,” Red Sox Foundation Vice President Bekah Salwasser told the Herald.

In years past, the foundation donated $500 stipends to Little League teams across the commonwealth. In 2019, the foundation sent stipends to 167 teams, totaling $83,500. But in 2021, the group told teams it would reallocate that funding to training coaches and other long-term league development.

Because that change caused confusion among youth baseball and organizations, Salwasser said, the foundation will reinstate stipends alongside the new programming.

The group emailed local youth leagues that the stipends were back mid-April, and at least 140 teams have applied for checks, Salwasser said.

“Our support for youth baseball and softball will never go away,” she said. “This is paramount to our organization.”

Previously, a spokesperson for the Red Sox Foundation told the Herald the nonprofit’s fundraising abilities had been hurt by the pandemic.

But Salwasser said coming out of the pandemic, the foundation held conversations with both investors and Little League stakeholders about how to maximize support for youth sports in the area. Funding talks focused on supporting youth coaches with free training — among other resources — in hopes of retaining more kids in sports. The foundation has partnered with the Positive Coaching Alliance, as well as WeCOACH — a group that focuses on developing girls’ sports.

“Coaching is one of the most critical aspects of retention and growing love for the game,” Salwasser said.

But now, ballplayers will get the best of both worlds. Salwasser said the new coaching programs set up by the group aren’t going anywhere — but neither are those team stipends.

“The best money is unrestricted money,” she said, noting that team directors have the ability to apply for a stipend through the Red Sox Foundation website, and use the funds where they see fit for their kids.

The Red Sox Foundation will also continue funding “RBI and Jr. RBI programs,” popular leagues and clinics that cater to about 1,000 kids in Boston. The foundation spends about $300,000 on that programming in Boston, as well as other cities.

Salwasser reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to youth baseball and softball.

“We want to make sure our dollars have the most impact for everyone. We don’t want to ever decrease that,” she said.

* MassLive.com

Boston Red Sox notebook: Adam Ottavino ‘not sharp’ in 8th inning Sunday, (hand) won’t go with club to Dunedin

Chris Cotillo

BOSTON -- The Red Sox are still working to find the perfect bridge to closer Matt Barnes at the back end of their , and on Sunday, they had to call upon Barnes for his second multi-inning chance in five appearances.

Adam Ottavino -- called upon for the eighth inning with Boston leading the Angels, 5-4 -- struck out the leadoff hitter before surrendering a single to Jared Walsh and walking Taylor Ward to put two men on with one out. Though he retired Jose Iglesias on a hard-hit ball to right field, Ottavino couldn’t get out of the inning and manager Alex Cora went to Barnes to attempt a four-out save.

Barnes struck out Phil Gosselin to end the eighth before blowing the save an inning later when Shohei Ohtani hit a game-winning, two-run homer with two outs. Though the eighth inning ended well, Ottavino’s struggles put Barnes in a tough spot.

“I don’t think Adam was sharp today and we’ve got an off day tomorrow,” Cora said “Yesterday was an easy day for us. Four outs, it’s not that different for him. He actually got them. It just didn’t look that way (referencing Mike Trout’s bloop single).”

Ottavino has a 3.86 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 16 ⅓ innings this season, but walks continue to be a concern. The veteran has issued 12 free passes -- and hit two batters -- in 19 appearances. Sunday’s outing broke a streak of three appearances without walks for Ottavino; he struck out two in a perfect eighth inning Friday night.

“Everybody was praising him two days ago when he attacked the strike zone,” Cora said. “We just keep working. He doesn’t want to walk people.”

Ottavino has not been bad for the Red Sox and, in fact, his numbers suggest that walks are really his only significant issue. For now, the Red Sox are comfortable sticking with him in the eighth inning as the primary setup man for Barnes.

“His stuff is really good,” Cora said. “This is a guy, we’re counting on him to get outs in the seventh and the eighth, whenever we need him. We’re going to keep trusting him. He’s one of the best ones. His stuff is really good. So we’ll keep working.”

Cora upbeat on virus trends

With capacity at Fenway Park expanded to 25% and the CDC lifting the nationwide mask mandate earlier in the week, Cora admitted he’s beginning to feel as though things are -- slowly, but surely -- getting back to normal in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Respecting what’s going on outside of our baseball world… there are a lot of people struggling still and countries that are trying to find a way to get going,” Cora said. “But yes, it feels that way. I do believe with everything that we’re doing as a country, in the world, for this to be part of the past — although it will always be part of the present — I think we’re doing a good job. It feels okay. It’s not normal yet, but it feels a lot better than a few months ago.

“Just looking around at Fenway, leaving the stadium the last two days, it feels close,” he continued. “We’re not there yet but it feels good that people are starting to move on, live their lives and they’re doing it the right way, too.”

Arroyo a bit behind; Santana progressing

Second baseman Christian Arroyo (left hand contusion) hit off the tee Sunday at Fenway Park and will head to Worcester early in the week instead of traveling with the Red Sox to Dunedin, Fla., for the start of their road trip. The hope is that Arroyo can take batting practice by Wednesday and potentially join the Red Sox for their weekend series in Philadelphia.

Infielder/outfielder Danny Santana (foot infection) is getting close to joining the Red Sox, Cora said.

“He’s doing well, he’s playing well, moving well… it looks like, timing-wise, he’s almost there,” Cora said. “We’ve been moving him around all over the place. He’s moving well.”

Goodwin still bringing energy in 4th season, impressed with Renfroe

First-base coach Tom Goodwin, now in his fourth season with the club, has been a consistent energetic presence for the Red Sox since joining Alex Cora’s staff in 2018. The former big-league outfielder has built strong relationships with many of Boston’s players and is often seen providing a boost on the field or in the dugout during games.

“I just try to stay upbeat,” Goodwin said. “This game will bring you down, it will drag you down. You’re getting more outs than you’re getting hits, obviously, from the offensive side. Guys always have to feel like they’re getting pumped up. It just helps to have a simple on your face when you’re out there on the field. It helps guys, if they’re going through something you don’t even know they’re going through, it helps to bring that type of positivity and that type of attitude.”

Goodwin is tasked with coaching the club’s and baserunners and is particularly impressed with what he has seen defensively from Hunter Renfroe.

“He has been marvelous… the way he is out there with the guys, he’s almost a center fielder playing right field where he communicates a lot as far as the positioning goes,” Goodwin said. “We talk to our information guys about the positioning and he has a lot of input on that, on where he feels comfortable playing, where we should make a change here or there. He’s got the floor when it comes to that and it shows out there, how he feels.”

Jays up next... in Florida

The Red Sox spent Monday in Boston and will fly to Dunedin, Fla. on Monday night ahead of a three-game series against the Blue Jays that starts Tuesday night. The Jays are playing their early home games at their spring training stadium (TD Ballpark) due to COVID-19 restrictions preventing them from playing at home in . Here are the pitching probables:

Tuesday, 7:37 p.m. -- LHP Eduardo Rodriguez vs. LHP Hyun Jin Ryu

Wednesday, 7:37 p.m. -- RHP Garrett Richards vs. RHP Ross Stripling

Thursday, 7:37 p.m. -- RHP Nick Pivetta vs. LHP Steven Matz

Boston Red Sox vs. preview: TV schedule, pitching probables, key stories (May 18-20)

Chris Cotillo

More than 100 years into their history, it’s unusual for the Red Sox to be playing regular season games in a place they never have before. But that will be the case as they travel to Dunedin, Fla., to face the Blue Jays at their temporary home.

Due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions, Toronto is using its spring training ballpark as its regular season home in April and May before moving to their Triple-A ballpark in Buffalo beginning June 1. It’s currently unclear where the Red Sox will need to go for their two other road series against the Jays (July 19-21 and Aug. 6-8).

Here’s a preview of this week’s series:

Boston Red Sox (25-17) vs. Toronto Blue Jays (22-17) · TD Ballpark · Dunedin, FL SERIES SCHEDULE (and TV information):

Tue. May 18, 7:37 p.m. ET -- NESN

Wed. May 19, 7:37 p.m. ET -- NESN+

Thu. May 20, 7:37 p.m. ET -- NESN / MLB Network (out of market)

HOW TO WATCH:

Tue. May 18, 7:27 p.m. ET -- NESN (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market)

Wed. May 19, 7:37 p.m. ET -- NESN+ (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market)

Thu. May 20, 7:37 p.m. ET -- NESN / MLB Network (Channel finder: Comcast Xfinity, Verizon Fios, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish, AT&T U verse, fuboTV and Sling) · Live stream: fuboTV, MLB.tv (out of market)

KNOW YOUR OPPONENT:

The upstart Blue Jays reached the postseason in 2020 after going 32-28 but were swept by the Rays in the best two-of-three wild-card round. They’re expected to once again be in the mix for a wild-card spot this season.

Toronto was one of the most aggressive teams in baseball over the winter, signing free agent George Springer (6 years, $150 million) and Marcus Semien (1 year, $18 million) while also bringing back Robbie Ray and adding Steven Matz, Kirby Yates (out for year after Tommy John surgery), Tyler Chatwood and David Phelps. A few key contributors (, Jonathan Villar, Matt Shoemaker and Ken Giles) signed elsewhere as free agents.

The Jays have won seven of their last 10 games and enter Tuesday with sole possession of second place in the East behind the Red Sox. They are 9-5 at their temporary home in Florida so far this year and just took two of three from the Phillies over the weekend.

Toronto has been pretty good offensively all season and -- as of Monday -- ranked second in the majors in homers (56) and eighth in the majors in average (.246), runs (192) and OPS (.729). On the pitching side, they have been average, ranking 13th in ERA (3.81) and 17th in both opponent average (.239) and strikeouts (351).

The Jays are dealing with some injuries, as Springer (quad) has only appeared in four games and a seven pitchers (Yates, Phelps, Tommy Milone, Julian Merryweather, Rafael Dolis, Anthony Castro and Ryan Borucki) are currently on the IL. Yates underwent Tommy John surgery and is out for the year.

PITCHING PROBABLES:

Tuesday, 7:37 p.m. -- LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-1, 4.15 ERA) vs. LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (3-2, 2.95 ERA)

Wednesday, 7:37 p.m. -- RHP Garrett Richards (3-2, 3.89 ERA) vs. RHP Ross Stripling (0-2, 5.91 ERA)

Thursday, 7:37 p.m. -- RHP Nick Pivetta (5-0, 3.16 ERA) vs. LHP Steven Matz (5-2, 4.29 ERA)

THREE SOX TO WATCH:

Kiké Hernández

Hernández has been out since May 6 with a right hamstring strain but is expected to be activated ahead of Tuesday’s series opener. He hit a in his second rehab game with the WooSox on Sunday -- the first grand slam in franchise history.

Franchy Cordero

Cordero was 3-for-5 with a double in Boston’s win over the Tigers on May 6 but is 0-for-20 in his last seven games. Since April 14 (22 games), he is 6-for-61 (.098) with a .314 OPS. Considering the Red Sox need to activate both Christian Arroyo and Danny Santana this week, Cordero’s time on the roster might be coming to an end. He has options and can go to Triple-A.

Nick Pivetta

Pivetta, who has been Boston’s best starter this season, is the Sox’ only Canadian player. He has faced off against the Blue Jays twice -- both in 2018 -- going 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA 11 ⅔ innings.

SERIES NOTES:

Boston and Toronto split a two-game set at Fenway Park on April 20 and 21. The Red Sox and Blue Jays each won five of the 10 games between the clubs last year. In 2019, the Red Sox were 11-8 against Toronto.

Boston will face the Jays again on the road at undetermined locations from July 19-21 and Aug. 6-8. The Blue Jays will come back to Fenway from June 11-13 and July 26-29.

This is the 28th time the Red Sox have won at least 25 of their first 41 games in a season, having most recently done so in 2018. In five of the last six instances, they went on to the postseason (2003, 2007, 2009, 2016, 2018).

The Red Sox have won 12 of 17 road games but have played more home games (25) than road (17). They will play 13 of their next 18 and 21 of their next 30 on the road.

The Sox are 7-3-3 in series play. Sunday’s loss was the Red Sox’ first this season when leading after eight innings (21-1).

UP NEXT:

The Red Sox will continue their road trip with a weekend set in Philadelphia before returning home for five more interleague games against Atlanta and Miami. During that homestand -- starting on May 29 -- Fenway Park will be at full capacity for the first time since Sept. 29, 2019.

Fri. 5/21 - Sun. 5/23: at Phillies (3)

Mon. 5/24: OFF DAY

Tue. 5/25 - Wed. 5/26: vs. Braves (2)

Thu. 5/27: OFF DAY

Fri. 5/28 - Sun. 5/30: vs. Marlins (3)

Fenway Park will return to full capacity on May 29; Boston Red Sox ‘excited to see Boston’s vibrancy restored’

Chris Cotillo

The days of a limited capacity crowd at Fenway Park will soon come to an end.

The Red Sox will welcome a full crowd at Fenway starting May 29, when they host the Marlins, team president and CEO Sam Kennedy said in a statement. Earlier Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker announced that all remaining COVID-19 restrictions in Massachusetts will come to an end on that day.

Here’s Kennedy’s full statement:

“Today’s update to the reopening plan will allow Fenway Park to begin operating at full capacity beginning on May 29 for games and concerts throughout the summer. We thank Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito, Mayor Janey and the numerous public health officials who have been extraordinary partners guiding us every step of the way.

“A year ago, the Governor and his team set forth a roadmap for the safe reopening of the Commonwealth. It is because of the administration’s steadfast leadership and intentional planning that we are now able to lift restrictions and limits put into place over 15 months ago to keep our community safe.

“In the City of Boston, Mayor Janey’s leadership has made this day possible. Less than two months into her tenure, she has overseen the safe return to normal operations in our city. We are excited to see Boston’s vibrancy restored and get back to the full energy of our ballpark and the Fenway neighborhood in the weeks ahead.”

The Red Sox opened Fenway Park at 12% capacity for the first 16 home games of the season before expanding it to 25% -- in line with state regulations -- for the most recent six-game homestand that ended Sunday. Boston will host three more games (May 25, May 26 and May 28) at 25% capacity before welcoming a full house for the final two games of its next homestand (May 29 and 30) and the last 56 home games of the season.

According to a Red Sox spokesperson, masks will be required by all fans attending the games on May 25, 26 and 28. Once Fenway is expanded to full capacity, the club will follow CDC and state guidelines related to mask-wearing.

“We will encourage fans to follow state and CDC guidelines related to masks,” the spokesperson said. “Not required for those that are vaccinated but encouraged to be worn if not vaccinated.”

* The Eagle Tribune

Fenway Park to be rocking; Sox ready for full attendance on May 29

Bill Burt

BOSTON -- Fenway Park will be rocking again, very soon.

With the announcement earlier today by Gov. Charlie Baker that the state would be re-opening at 100 percent on May 29, the Red Sox issued a statement that they will be ready for full attendance on Sat., May 29 when the Red Sox host the at 4:10 p.m.

The Red Sox today released the below statement from President & CEO Sam Kennedy:

“Today’s update to the reopening plan will allow Fenway Park to begin operating at full capacity beginning on May 29 for games and concerts throughout the summer. We thank Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito, Mayor Janey and the numerous public health officials who have been extraordinary partners guiding us every step of the way.

“A year ago, the Governor and his team set forth a roadmap for the safe reopening of the Commonwealth. It is because of the administration’s steadfast leadership and intentional planning that we are now able to lift restrictions and limits put into place over 15 months ago to keep our community safe.

“In the City of Boston, Mayor Janey’s leadership has made this day possible. Less than two months into her tenure, she has overseen the safe return to normal operations in our city. We are excited see Boston’s vibrancy restored and get back to the full energy of our ballpark and the Fenway neighborhood in the weeks ahead.”

* The Worcester Telegram

Great crowds, super sight lines and wins. Plenty to enjoy from opening week at Polar Park

Bill Ballou

There is a segment of the sports population that will find something to complain about no matter what, an example being the letter former Sox manager Joe Morgan got after starting his career with a 12-0 record in 1988.

“Joe, you’re using the wrong lineup,” was the first sentence.

No doubt there are doubters out there who think the first week of Polar Park’s existence was flawed. After all, WooSox pitchers did not throw 55 perfect innings, several clouds were spotted in the sky during daylight hours and the team had the nerve to lose a game.

Otherwise, it was a sensational start for a new team and a new ballpark.

Players will come and go through the next few decades. Polar Park will evolve, but essentially be what it was last Tuesday. Every new ballpark gets rave reviews but not every new ballpark has staying power. Shea Stadium, Riverfront Stadium, Three Rivers Stadium, etc. all opened to “Oh Wow” receptions that in a matter of a few years turned into “Oh No.”

That won’t happen here. The baseball-only parks that began with Camden Yards in Baltimore have retained their appeal. The Orioles are lousy and attendance is not what it was, but the ballpark is still a destination after all these years. Same in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, San Francisco…etc.

It will be the same in Worcester.

Some observations from the first week of high-level here since 1925:

Seating format a perfect fit

The architects got it right in the breakdown of 60 percent seats, 40 percent open air. The busiest sections of Polar Park were the patios along the foul lines. When full capacity is finally allowed for the next homestand, the TV cameras will catch what look like empty seats in the stands but the tickets are sold. It’s just that the fans are in the corners.

Magic numbers

The crowd of 2,733 may have been the baseball equivalent of the loaves and the fishes. The 2,700-plus fans in Polar Park’s basket seemed to expand with every inning. The weather was divine, so there may have been some heavenly intervention with the of people in the ballpark that day.

Soft opening could be a benefit

The COVID capacity restrictions are costing ownership a lot of money, but may turn out to be a blessing in the longer run. Imagine a full crowd of 10,000 trying to find parking, lining up for beer, trying to find seats on Tuesday, all in a brand-new building with a brand-new hospitality crew? Anyone remember opening night in the Patriots’ new Schaefer Stadium in 1971 when many fans were never even able to get off I-495?

Helping hands

The aforementioned hospitality folks, the ones in the yellow shirts? What a great job they did all week helping fans find their seats, find where to get a piece of pizza, find where the nearest bathroom was

The runup to the opening of Polar Park was a long one, long enough for a lot to go wrong, long enough for expectations to exceed any possible reality. Week One was not perfect — the WooSox did drop that 4-2 decision on Wednesday — but aside from the fans who think that a 12-0 record isn’t good enough, you won’t be hearing any complaints.

Coming soon: A sold-out Polar Park as WooSox set to run at full capacity available after May 29

Joe McDonald

WORCESTER — The 2021 inaugural season for the was first unveiled last week at Polar Park.

Now, it will be unmasked May 29.

Gov. Charlie Baker announced Monday the state will lift all COVID-19 restrictions that day, which will allow the WooSox to operate the new ballpark at 100% capacity, and fans will no longer be required to wear a mask.

“First thing we take from it is the good news that this ugly, miserable pandemic is going to be behind us soon,” WooSox principal owner said Monday. “We all make our own decisions as to how we're going to mask and unmask, etc., but the announcement from (Gov, Baker) today, we had a group of us listening to the governor this morning and we immediately broke into a meeting regarding the second homestand which begins June 1.”

Lucchino added the team will increase the ticket availability to fans immediately.

“We have to formulate some new ticket policies and ticket plans. We already had one meeting on it, but they're in the process of being formulated because it means a lot to our fans to come,” he said. “They've been patient through this process, this pandemic and the idea of having a second opening day, as grand and glorious as the first one was, we intend to have a second opening day when we finish the ballpark and we're at 100% attendance, so it is a real cause for a celebration for us today and we thank the Governor and the state.

“We appreciate the opportunity and we know our fans appreciate it, too.”

The Opening Day celebration May 11 with only 25% capacity (maybe a bit more that day) did not disappoint.

The plan all along has been to have two “Opening Day” celebrations once the pandemic restrictions were lifted.

The WooSox posted a 5-1 record during the first-ever, six-game series at Polar Park to begin the season. Each game was a COVID sellout with 2,377 fans.

After Monday’s off-day, the team will host the for another six-game series.

“It's just good news. The number one thing it means is we're getting healthier as a community,” team president Dr. Charles Steinberg said. “That's been everyone's priority. And what it means to us is what it means to the fans. When we were putting 2,377 fans in here during opening week and there were so many who you felt had their noses pressed against the window waiting for their opportunity to say you can have 5,000 more starting June 1 or so, that's good news.

“We'll come up with the specifics and we'll do that as soon as we can, because we haven't put single-game tickets on sale yet for June for that reason. Now, today, that's what we're working on today and hope to give the green light to that very shortly.”

More information will follow once the team announces its plans.

Telegram & Gazette reporter Jennifer Toland contributed to this story.

* RedSox.com

Fenway cleared for full capacity on May 29

Ian Browne

BOSTON -- During an entertaining series against the Angels last weekend, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and several players noted how electric Fenway Park felt at just 25 percent capacity.

At the end of the month, the place will truly be rocking again, as the Red Sox announced on Monday that Fenway will follow the state’s re-opening plan and be at full capacity as of May 29.

That means the Red Sox could potentially play in front of a full house against the Marlins on May 29 and 30, the final two games of their next homestand, marking the first time Fenway has been eligible to host that many fans since the end of the 2019 season.

Red Sox president/CEO Sam Kennedy issued the following statement on Fenway opening its doors fully again:

“Today’s update to the reopening plan will allow Fenway Park to begin operating at full capacity beginning on May 29 for games and concerts throughout the summer. We thank Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito, Mayor Janey and the numerous public health officials who have been extraordinary partners guiding us every step of the way.

“A year ago, the Governor and his team set forth a roadmap for the safe reopening of the Commonwealth. It is because of the administration’s steadfast leadership and intentional planning that we are now able to lift restrictions and limits put into place over 15 months ago to keep our community safe.

“In the City of Boston, Mayor Janey’s leadership has made this day possible. Less than two months into her tenure, she has overseen the safe return to normal operations in our city. We are excited see Boston’s vibrancy restored and get back to the full energy of our ballpark and the Fenway neighborhood in the weeks ahead.”

There were no fans allowed at the ballpark in 2020. The Red Sox started this season with 12 percent capacity for home games, which was close to 5,000 fans.

On May 11, that was bumped up to 25 percent capacity.

“In the beginning, it was like 4,000 people and they were loud,” Cora said after Friday’s thrilling 4-3 win. “Now there's more and they were louder, so it was cool to see Fenway this way.”

Perhaps a more packed Fenway will have a positive impact on the -leading Red Sox, who are 12-5 on the road but just 13-12 at home.

“Having them show up every single night, it’s good vibes all around,” said Red Sox righty Nick Pivetta. “These [fans], they get done with their days of work and whatever they’re doing, they come to Fenway and we [try to] put up a win -- that’s what’s most important. Do it for the fans.”

Now there will be a lot more fans to do it for.

Fenway’s full seating capacity is close to 38,000.

* WEEI.com

The bizarre reason Eduardo Rodriguez kept the glove he threw on the mound

Rob Bradford

Of the many unforgettable moments from the 2018 , Eduardo Rodriguez slamming his glove to the ground after surrounding a home run to Yasiel Puig is near the top of the list.

Obviously, all ended up well for Rodriguez and the Red Sox, with Alex Cora's team coming back after that Game 4 homer. But don't think for a second the instance hasn't embedded itself into the Sox' starter's psyche.

It's why the glove that was heaved at the mound that night still resides in a prominent place at Rodriguez's home.

"I still have it," said Rodriguez while appearing on the Red Sox Radio Network's "2 Minute Grill" segment. "I want to see Yasiel Puig and make him sign it for me. I swear to God, that's why I have it. I have it at home next to everything from the World Series. I really want to see if I can find him one day and make him sign it."

Another question: How hard did he throw that glove?

"Probably the hardest I've ever thrown in my life, like 98 or 99," Rodriguez said with a chuckle.

The lefty can look back at that Oct. 27 night with satisfaction and a smile considering how well he pitched up until the Puig homer. Rodriguez hadn't allowed a single run over his 5 2/3 innings up until the blast.

It was such a solid outing that it actually was put in a special classification by Rodriguez. It was, as he noted on the segment (as a tip of the hat to verbiage previously used by teammate Christian Vazquez), the sexiest he has ever felt on a .

"That's the stage everybody wants to be, so for me that was the sexiest I've ever felt on the mound," he said.

To hear the entire "2 Minute Grill" interview with Rodriguez, tune into the Red Sox Radio Network Pregame Show starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday prior to the Sox' tilt with the Blue Jays.

Red Sox announce how fans can get additional tickets

Rob Bradford

The good news came Monday with the announcement that venues such as Fenway Park would be operating at 100 percent capacity starting May 29. Now the Red Sox are adding additional information when it comes to securing some of those seats.

Per the team ...

As a result of restrictions and capacity limits being lifted throughout the Commonwealth and in the City of Boston starting May 29, the Red Sox will release additional single game tickets for the weekend games against the Miami Marlins taking place May 29 and 30.

Tickets for these two games will be released today, May 18, at 10 a.m. on redsox.com/tickets. Mastercard is the preferred payment of the Boston Red Sox.

Starting May 29, Fenway Park will have the opportunity to operate at full capacity. On and after this date, masks will no longer be required for fully vaccinated fans, in accordance with current CDC guidelines. Unvaccinated fans are strongly encouraged to continue to wear masks. The health survey that has been a requirement prior to entering the ballpark this season will be eliminated starting May 29, however, bags will continue to be restricted, with exceptions limited to medical devices and diaper bags.

Fenway Park will continue to operate at 25 percent capacity for games taking place on May 25 and 26 against the Braves, and on May 28 against the Marlins. Masks will continue to be required for these three games before restrictions are lifted on May 29.

Gov. Baker clears way for Fenway, Garden to open at 100% capacity Memorial Day weekend

Alex Reimer

Who’s ready to drunkenly blare out “” at the top of their lungs, and then wait in line 25 minutes to use the restroom?

Gov. Charlie Baker announced Monday all COVID-19 restrictions will lift in Massachusetts on May 29, clearing the way for sports venues to operate at 100 percent capacity. That means Fenway Park could be packed for the second game of the Red Sox’s next homestead: a late-Saturday afternoon matchup against the Miami Marlins.

Catch the game, and then spend the Saturday night barhopping around Fenway in a euphoric drunken haze.

Sounds like a great Memorial Day Weekend indeed.

The exhilarating news was first reported Monday morning on “The Greg Hill Show.”

The Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins have yet to announce their reopening plans, though "Only in Boston" tweeted the Red Sox are telling their vendors to be ready for 100 percent capacity May 29.

Boston Mayor Kim Janey announced Monday she's aligning the city with the state's timeline. Under the previous plan, Boston was set to fully reopen Aug. 22. The rest of the state was slated for Aug. 1.

Last week, Red Sox president Sam Kennedy told the GHS he expected Fenway to be at 100 percent capacity Aug. 1. Currently, Fenway Park and the TD Garden are operating at 25 percent capacity.

In order for the Celtics and Bruins to play in front a full crowd, they’re each going to have to make a playoff run. The Bruins are currently down 1-0 in their series to the Capitals. The Celtics are set to host the Wizards in their play-in game Tuesday.

Gillette Stadium can conceivably open at full capacity May 29 as well. The Revolution are hosting the FC Cincinnati at 3:00 p.m.

* NBC Sports Boston

Upcoming schedule gauntlet will put Red Sox to test

John Tomase

The Red Sox may have aced the first six weeks of the 2021 campaign, but it turns out those 42 games were simply prologue for the season-defining gauntlet that awaits.

Usually when we highlight a difficult portion of the schedule, we're talking 10 or 15 games. A particularly brutal stretch might last a month.

But the Red Sox are about to embark on a run of games that has no equal in recent franchise history. They visit the Toronto Blue Jays in Florida on Monday and they'd better buckle in, because the schedule simply does not relent.

And we don't just mean the rest of May. We're looking at all of June. And then all of July. It might be mid- August before the Red Sox get a break with series vs. the , , , and .

In fact, depending on which way the fading go after their blistering start, it's possible the Red Sox will only face two teams with losing records in the next two and a half months -- three games vs. the Miami Marlins and three in Los Angeles against the same Angels club that beat Matt Barnes on Sunday with one big swing from Shohei Ohtani.

The Red Sox believe they're one of the best teams in baseball, and they're going to get a chance to prove it. Only two games separate the top four teams in the AL East, from the Red Sox at 25-17 to the Jays (22-17), (22-18), and (23-19). Between now and Aug. 18, the Red Sox will play those three division rivals a staggering 42 times in 81 games. That's more than half their games for exactly half a season.

Meanwhile, they'll face no shortage of contenders, from the second-place , to Ronald Acuna Jr. and the surprisingly underachieving , to the rampaging , to the division-leading Oakland A's. Even the Marlins, mired in fourth in the NL East after sneaking into the playoffs last year, own the best run differential in their division. It's not like the last-place Angels can be characterized as a gimme, either, not with maybe the two best players in the game in Ohtani and Mike Trout.

Even if you cut things off at Aug. 1 when the Red Sox complete a three-game set in Tampa, they're looking at SIXTY-SEVEN straight games with barely a let-up.

"I think the league is more balanced than what people made it seem before the season started," manager Alex Cora said recently. "I know there are a few teams a little bit banged up, but that's the grind of 162. It's not a sprint. It's not 60 games. A good start is just that, a good start. And we are playing in a tough division.

"This division for whatever people want to make it, it's balanced. Like I said even before the season started, the Orioles who nobody feels they have a good team, but they have some positives on their roster and they're trending up, what they're trying to do as an organization. Their starters are a solid, their bullpen has been amazing, they've got some dynamic players. In this division, it's going to be a dog fight all the way to the end."

It's easy to see where the Red Sox will be tested. Their bullpen remains inconsistent in front of Barnes, who was forced into Sunday's game in the eighth inning after Adam Ottavino put the tying run on second. Left- handers Darwinzon Hernandez and Josh Taylor -- and Ottavino, for that matter -- don't throw enough strikes. Once-reliable setup man Matt Andriese has seen his ERA climb near 5.00, and he's probably first man up if the rotation springs a leak. Right-hander Hirokazu Sawamura has allowed four home runs in only 16.1 innings.

Cora admits he's still searching for the right mix. That's a nerve-wracking proposition vs. the division foes alone, since one bad week could drop the Red Sox from first to fourth.

The Blue Jays have weathered injuries to two of their most important players -- $150 million outfielder George Springer and perennial Cy Young candidate Hyun-Jin Ryu.

The Yankees are surviving a COVID outbreak, as well as injuries to slugger and dependable outfielder Aaron Hicks. The Rays are doing what they always do, which is stay in contention against all logic and reason.

They're all about to be the only items on the menu for a Red Sox club that is certainly off to a great start, but with this rather glaring caveat -- the season effectively starts now.

* BostonSportsJournal.com

Three Off-Day Red Sox Thoughts

Sean McAdam

Three Red Sox thoughts as the team's 13-games-in-13-days comes to an end with a travel day to Florida.

1. Home field disadvantage. For the third straight season, the Red Sox are having difficulty exerting their dominance at Fenway Park. It was a failure of the 2019 team - one which Alex Cora acknowledged -- and it didn't get any better in 2020 when, let's face it, the Red Sox were wretched both home and away.

And now that the Sox have gotten off to a strong overall start, tied for the best record in the American League and in first place in the East, they're succeeding in spite of their problems at Fenway.

The team recently concluded a week at home with Oakland and Los Angeles, going 3-3, enough for Cora to label it an "OK'' homestand. The Sox are currently 13-12 at Fenway, and a far better 12-5 mark on the road as they embark on a six-game road trip.

Essentially, the Sox are doing the reverse of the usual recipe, which is to beat up on teams in your own ballpark and hold your own away from home. There are different ways to win, of course, but that one would seem particularly hard to sustain over the course of the season.

It remains a mystery why the team has stumbled in its own ballpark. They own the league's best offense and it would stand to reason that would become even more of an advantage at home. And indeed, the Sox are averaging 5.28 runs per home game vs. 5.0 on the road. Their OPS at Fenway is .789 vs. .747 on the road.

Actually, it's been the pitching that's been the culprit. At Fenway, the staff has pitched to a 4.10 ERA , while on the road, it's a far better 3.41. That's a difference of almost three-quarters of a run, as clear an explanation as any for their better road record.

As the Sox trudged off the field Sunday, Fenway organist Josh Kantor subtly saluted the team's early season theme song, delivering a sprightly version of 's "On the Road Again,'' the chorus of which adds: "Just can't wait to get back on the road again.''

Then again, Monday brought some news which might help turn things around at Fenway.....

2. State of Massachusetts set to lift COVID restrictions May 29. The Red Sox had been informally planning on Aug. 1 as the date on which they would be permitted to have full capacity back at Fenway, but Monday's announcement from Gov. Charlie Baker sped that up by about two months.

Massachusetts will allow all industries to open May 29 at 100 percent capacity, a ruling which seem to apply to sporting events. That likely means that, three games into their next homestand, the Sox will able to fill Fenway to the brim with about 37,000.

There's no way to predict how much impact a full house might have on the team's on-field performance -- if any. After all, the Sox played before sellout crowd after sellout crowd in 2019 and that resulted in a 38-43 home record.

But on Friday night, when the team stormed back to edge the Angels 4-3 on 's two-run homer in the seventh, Cora and several players mentioned the energy in the ballpark and the general atmosphere which might have enabled the comeback.

It should also be noted that there's no guarantee that Fenway will be immediately filled once capacity is allowed to reach its full capacity again. Some fans may be -- initially, at least -- wary of being shoehorned back into Fenway's unforgiving confines, sitting inches from strangers in the immediate aftermath of a pandemic -- vaccinations or no vaccinations.

Still, it would seem a safe bet that bigger crowds and a general return to normalcy can't hurt the home team and will likely, in ways that perhaps can't quite be quantified, help -- at least somewhat.

3. Roster moves begin. On Monday, the Red Sox announced that they had optioned infielder Jonathan Arauz back to Triple A Worcester. There was no corresponding move, but that transaction surely anticipates the imminent return of Kike Hernandez.

Hernandez began a quick rehab assignment with Worcester Saturday, serving as the DH Saturday before moving to the outfield Sunday. He hit a grand slam in his first at-bat Sunday. Hernandez was placed on the IL on May 7 with a strained right hamstring and all along, the feeling was he would be ready to rejoin the team in time for its upcoming six-game road trip.

Meanwhile, Christian Arroyo, who had been placed on the IL on the same day as Hernandez, is coming along somewhat more slowly from a left hand contusion -- probably because he's been hit on the same spot twice in the early portion of the season. Still, Arroyo is set to take some batting practice Wednesday and could be in line to rejoin the parent club Friday when the Sox begin an interleague series in Philadelphia.

* The New York Post

Adam Ottavino’s Yankees problems have followed him to Red Sox

Zach Braziller

Switching sides in the rivalry hasn’t fixed all of Adam Ottavino’s issues.

Sunday, his struggles contributed to the Red Sox losing out on a sweep of the Angels. It forced closer Matt Barnes into the eighth inning, and he allowed a game-winning two-run shot in the ninth to Shohei Ohtani.

Ottavino, the former Yankee from Brooklyn, threw just nine of 19 pitches for strikes and put two runners on.

“I don’t think Adam was sharp today,” manager Alex Cora told reporters.

Overall, Ottavino’s numbers aren’t bad. He has a 3.86 ERA and has 20 strikeouts in 16.1 innings. But he has walked 12 hitters and has a 1.47 WHIP. In the 17 times this year Ottavino has faced three hitters or more, he has allowed at least one baserunner 82 percent of the time, according to The Boston Globe.

Ottavino said he needs to trust his stuff more, and not try to be so perfect. But Cora remains high on the right-hander.

“His stuff is really good. We’re counting on him to get outs in the seventh and the eighth whenever we need him,” Cora said. “We’re going to keep trusting him. He’s one of the best ones.”

The Yankees traded Ottavino to the Red Sox this offseason as a salary dump after he had a 5.86 ERA last season in The Bronx.