Sandoval back in action
Will start as DH for PawSox
ST. LOUIS — If the PawSox weren’t already fielding the most expensive minor league team in baseball history, tomorrow’s roster should put them over the top.
Add Pablo Sandoval to the list, since he’ll be joining the ranks in Triple A Pawtucket to begin a rehab assignment and work his way back from a sprained right knee.
“I don’t know how much time I’m going to need,” Sandoval said yesterday. “I just want to focus to have a nice rehab and feel healthy. That’s one of the things that I’m looking forward to, feeling 100 percent to be back on the field and play the game.”
With David Price ($30 million salary in 2017) due to make a rehab start for the PawSox tomorrow in Buffalo, Sandoval ($17 million) will join a team that also includes Allen Craig ($11 million), Rusney Castillo ($10.5 million) and Brock Holt ($1.95 million), among others, for a total payroll of more than $70 million. For comparison, the entire Tampa Bay Rays payroll was less than $70 million on Opening Day.
How Price comes out of that start will determine if he’s to join the big league club for his next one five days later.
For Sandoval, it’s just the beginning.
“I’m going to be in the DH spot the first couple of games. I want to see how the knee reacts,” he said. “As soon as I feel better, I’ll jump to third.”
Sandoval said he’s been pain-free in his knee after resting for nearly a month. He hasn’t played since April 23.
“He’s been down roughly four weeks now, so there’s going to be some timing to regain at the plate,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “Want to see the mobility and the range at third base. We don’t have a date marked that he’s returning to us, but he needs to get some repetition.”
Farrell hasn’t been able to find a consistently productive third baseman this year. Sandoval was hitting just .213 with a .646 OPS and four errors in 17 games before he got hurt.
“I felt good when I was healthy, so that’s one of the things that I’m looking forward to after last year,” he said. “It’s one of the things that I can handle. If I’m healthy, then I can play right.”
After missing a day with recurring vertigo symptoms, Holt was back in the PawSox lineup yesterday, though he was the DH instead of at third base. Farrell said Holt is day-to-day, and Sandoval likely will be ready to return first.
Deven Marrero made his fourth straight start at third base for the major league club last night in St. Louis. He was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts before Josh Rutledge took over in the extra-inning affair.
In the throws
Jackie Bradley Jr. has yet to pick up an outfield assist this season after collecting 13 last year. But he thinks he knows the problem.
“I’m just going to continue to keep working, get better, stop holding onto the ball too long when I’m making throws,” he said. “Get a little airborn, get a little air under it instead of spiking them.
“I have to keep the ball down. A lot of guys who have decent arms like to usually throw it pretty far and sometimes overthrow cutoff men. I tried to make a habit of making sure I didn’t overthrow my cutoff man. So I just kind of made an adjustment to where I’m not releasing it as high. But I’ll work on it.”
Light hitters
Red Sox pitchers haven’t done much with the bats this season, going 0-for-8 with six strikeouts.
Since Rick Porcello (who was 0-for-2 with two whiffs last night) recorded a hit against Atlanta last April, Sox pitchers are 0-for-30 with 24 strikeouts. Only once have they dropped down a successful bunt, when Kyle Kendrick did it last week in Milwaukee. Eduardo Rodriguez grounded out to advance runners to second and third Tuesday and said it was the first time he made contact since he was 15. . . .
Right-hander Hector Velazquez was on his way to California yesterday and will make his MLB debut for the Red Sox tonight against the Oakland A’s.