Unchanged ’pen is mighty
With Smith, Thornburg, Cora likes reliever corps
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
FORT MYERS — The Red Sox never signed or traded for an established reliever this offseason. That’s how much faith they had in their returning crew.
With two weeks left before the season starts, their hopes are being realized. The Sox bullpen is in good shape.
Carson Smith is healthy and a strong candidate for set-up and backup closer duties, and Tyler Thornburg also is progressing. Manager Alex Cora was asked before yesterday’s 2-1 victory against the Twins if the organization ever discussed seriously trading for or signing relief help.
“The organization was comfortable with the bullpen we had,” Cora said. “They did an outstanding job throughout the season, and especially with Carson throwing the ball the way he did toward the end. That was very important. We have guys that, most of them, they’re fourseam guys, they attack guys on top of the zone, and they expand over the breaking ball. With him, it’s a different look. And obviously we’ve got Craig (Kimbrel) for those high-leverage situations late in the game. So, we felt comfortable with it through the offseason, and now that we see them, the way (Joe Kelly is) throwing the ball, the way Carson’s throwing the ball, we’re more comfortable now.”
Cora does not want to define a role for Smith. It’s all about the matchups.
“He’s a guy that, in the last third of the game, he’s going to be important for us,” Cora said. “He can get a ground ball with a man on first with one out, regardless if it’s a lefty or righty. We’ve just got to see where we’re at in the game. But definitely, he’s a guy that will pitch late in the game. We’re going to bring him in different situations, with traffic, with people on. It’s a guy with one pitch, he can get two outs and might come back the next inning. Looking forward to those situations.”
Cora said Kimbrel’s infant daughter, Lydia, is “doing better” after her recent heart surgery. Kimbrel remains in the Boston area and should stay on track to be available Opening Day.
“He’s throwing live BP (Thursday) somewhere up there, if he’s able to drive,” Cora said.
Thornburg had an up-anddown bullpen session yesterday and came out of it fine. He likely will not be ready Opening Day, but Cora likes what he sees.
“It seems like he’s taking all the right steps to be healthy,” Cora said. “Like I said since Day 1 I saw him, there’s something about this kid. He wants it. It was such a frustrating year last year. He went through all the rehab process, the ups and downs of the process, and now it seems like everything is straightening out, so for him to be able to throw bullpens and little by little to start building up to where we want him to be, is an accomplishment.”
Bobby Poyner had another strong outing yesterday, following up starter Chris Sale with a scoreless frame.
Cora didn’t know a whole lot about him when he got the job, but he likes what he’s learned.
“The only thing I knew was he had a 0.92 WHIP last year,” Cora said. “There’s something about him on the mound, he’s very calm. He understands who he is. He doesn’t try to be somebody else. And he gets people out.”
The southpaw minor leaguer who was Double-A Portland’s pitcher of the year last season, remains a candidate for the last spot in the bullpen.
Roenis Elias is not in the rotation picture. He has been shifted to bullpen duty, which appears to suit him.
“His work ethic is a lot better now than it used to be. It seems like he grew a lot in the offseason,” Cora said of Elias, who played in the Puerto Rican winter league. “I know he went to Santiago to pitch for Aguilas, and he learned a lot.”
Cora mentioned how lefty reliever Robby Scott’s release point has changed since his offseason procedure to remove bone chips.
“I was joking with him the other day, ‘Get the bone chips, put them back in, and you’ll get back your slider,’ ” Cora said. “It’s a process.”
Slow and steady
Cora declined to project which of his bottom three starters — Drew Pomeranz, Eduardo Rodriguez and Steven Wright — is most likely to be ready by Opening Day.
“I think everyone’s doing their progress at their pace. I think it would be unfair just to single somebody out,” Cora said. “I don’t want to push somebody to do something because they feel the pressure to be ready the first week, or the first 15 days of the season. We want these guys to be healthy throughout the season, the playoffs, and all the way until the end.”
Wright threw two innings of live BP, and Pomeranz long-tossed, both encountering no problems. Pomeranz will throw a side session today, with a live bullpen set for later in the week. Rodriguez will throw two innings of live BP today.
Devers gets rest
Despite having no game Tuesday, third baseman Rafael Devers got yesterday off because he’s been playing so much, especially on the road . . . .
Expect Blake Swihart to play third base against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday . . . .
While Sandy Leon caught Sale against the Twins, fellow backstop Christian Vazquez was 1-for-5 playing for Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket on the back fields of the Sox complex.