Wright to take big step
Next up in recovery: Live batting practice
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
DUNEDIN, Fla. — Two weeks ago, the Red Sox basically closed the door on Steven Wright being ready for the Opening Day rotation. Yesterday, manager Alex Cora opened that door a crack.
Wright is scheduled to throw two innings of live batting practice tomorrow. Recovering from knee surgery has left him free to keep his arm in shape, and Cora now seems to think there’s a chance Wright could build up quickly these next three weeks.
“That Steven Wright hurdle is huge because of who he is,” Cora said. “I think his arm is there, it’s just a matter of, clear this hurdle and then go from there and see what he can do. That’s a big step, and if he can clear that one, you never know.”
The Red Sox need a fifth starter on April 2, meaning Wright could continue building innings until March 28 — the day before Opening Day — and still be on schedule for the fifth game.
Drew Pomeranz (forearm strain) and Eduardo Rodriguez (knee surgery) are also at risk of opening the season on the disabled list. Rodriguez threw live batting practice yesterday morning, but he remains the least likely to break camp with the team.
Pomeranz is scheduled to throw living batting practice later this week, and it seems a toss-up whether he or Wright is closest to being regular-season ready.
“I think out of the three, honestly, looking forward to (Wright’s live batting practice),” Cora said. “That’s going to let us know a lot of things. It looks like, if he can clear that one, then we’ll build it up to see where we’re going to be at the end of the month.”
For the time being, Cora acknowledged, his fiveman rotation consists of Chris Sale, David Price, Rick Porcello, Hector Velazquez, yesterday’s starter in a 6-4 Grapefruit League win against the Toronto Blue Jays, and Brian Johnson, who is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game today. Velazquez and Johnson will round out the rotation if none of the injured starters is ready.
“It looks that way,” Cora said. “We have to stretch those two guys. You saw the moves we made, so as far as starters, those are the guys that we feel comfortable with them, that can give us solid starts.”
Wright was an All-Star in 2016 but made just five starts last season before needing surgery to address cartilage damage in his left knee. There has been no official word on whether Major League Baseball is still considering a suspension based on his offseason domestic-violence arrest, a case that has been retired by the court.
Update on Kimbrel
While Craig Kimbrel remains with his family in Boston, Cora suggested the Red Sox could get creative to make sure their closer faces professional hitters.
“We’ve got a few things set up for him up there,” Cora said. “There are ways for him to face quality hitting. We just took a 21⁄2hour bus ride. How long is that flight up there? Two and a half hours? There are always ways.”
Would the Red Sox really fly hitters to Boston just to face Kimbrel?
“I don’t know,” Cora said. “We’ll see.”
Kimbrel could also fly to Florida for a day, but Cora has said he won’t rush Kimbrel while his infant daughter Lydia is treated for a heart ailment. Kimbrel has been throwing bullpens, but he hasn’t faced hitters.
Get to work
Cora stressed in the morning that the Red Sox need to improve their infield defense this spring, and that was before they made two more errors against the Blue Jays.
“Defense is going to be a must the next four days,” Cora said.
The Red Sox are in Fort Myers the next four days, which gives them time to focus on drills without making long bus trips. Rafael Devers has been rocky at third base this spring, shortstop Xander Bogaerts is still adjusting to new assignments in the shift, and Eduardo Nunez is getting back into game speed at second base, where he would fill in for Dustin Pedroia (knee surgery) to open the season. Devers and Deven Marrero, who played short, each made errors yesterday.
A bizarre rundown resulted in a double play that was officially — and incorrectly — ruled a 6-4-2-6-38-7, but Cora said that play was actually a high point for the defense.
“It looked worse than it was,” he said.
Holt sits out
Brock Holt skipped the game as a precaution, but Cora said the utility man is fine following Sunday’s hit by pitch just above the elbow.
Sandy Leon replaced Holt on the trip. The catcher was in the lineup as the designated hitter and hit two home runs. Devers tripled and Andrew Benintendi, who played center field, doubled.