With daughter improving, Kimbrel back in camp
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Red Sox were expected to see their flame-throwing closer back for spring training last night, and the reason why he’s returning has the ballclub relieved.
Craig Kimbrel had spent nearly three weeks in Boston after his infant daughter, Lydia Joy, needed another heart surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital. She was born in November with complications and Kimbrel said in January he and his family were in need of prayers.
Kimbrel reported to spring training on time in February and stayed for a few weeks before leaving to be with his family.
Manager Alex Cora said Lydia Joy Kimbrel has made significant improvement.
“Just get chills thinking about it,” Cora said. “The most important thing is the family is OK with (Craig Kimbrel coming back to the team). If they’re OK with it, we’re OK with it.”
With Opening Day just 10 days away, Kimbrel has been keeping himself in shape while up in Boston, Cora said. The Sox even arranged a live batting-practice session for him there.
“We’ve had people back at home taking care of him, doing the right thing for him,” pitching coach Dana LeVangie said. “(Staff assistant Matt Noone) has done a great job helping us do a lot of things that we wrote up a schedule for him to follow. With good health of his daughter progressing, it allowed him to commit himself to baseball as well. He’ll come, do some workout stuff, and we’ll go from there.”
If he’s feeling up for it, Kimbrel will return to the mound today and throw another live batting practice session. The Red Sox play exhibition games through a week from tomorrow before they head up the coast to St. Petersburg, Fla., for the season opener against the Tampa Bay Rays on March 29, so there is still time for him to make spring training appearances.
Cora expects Kimbrel to be good to go on Opening Day.
“With him it’s a different schedule anyway,” Cora said. “He’ll be ready.”
Swihart untested
In his first professional start at third base, Blake Swihart went untested.
Using an infielders glove that was given to him by former Triple-A Pawtucket teammate Matt Dominguez, Swihart didn’t get a single opportunity to make a play while left-hander Brian Johnson held the Pittsburgh Pirates in check in the Red Sox’ 2-1 win.
“There were a lot of popups today,” Swihart said.
Swihart is second on the team with 45 at-bats this spring and he’s now played third base, first base, left field, catcher and designated hitter. He was asked how his throwing arm is holding up.
“I’m going to try to keep it pretty much the same throw (from third or catcher) because it’s pretty much the same distance from home to second,” Swihart said. “If I’m throwing the ball to (first baseman) Mitch Moreland,I don’t want to throw a twoseamer. I’d rather get something, a four seamer. There will be times I’ll go side arm but I’m used to doing that.”
Swihart is out of minor league options but expected to make the team as a utility man.
“I think I can do more,” Swihart said. “There’s still a lot of spring left, so I can’t just turn it off now and expect something to happen.”
Cora said he envisions Swihart being like Marwin Gonzalez on the 2017 Houston Astros. Gonzalez accumulated 515 plate appearances while playing six positions for the World Series champions.
“For me and the coaching staff he was the MVP of that team,” Cora, the bench coach last year in Houston, said of Gonzalez. “That’s what you envision, like Marwin. He’s good on both sides of the ball so you can move him around and your lineup doesn’t suffer and defense stays the same.”
Moreland small ball
Moreland was second on the Sox with 36 doubles last season, but he never had a double like this one. With the Pirates defense in a pull-side shift against the left-handed hitter, he dropped a perfect bunt that rolled down the third base line with enough pace for him to reach second base.
“Well, I looked up and I thought I saw the shift guy, and it was actually the umpire and the shift guy was even farther right,” Moreland said. “Right then, I was like, this is as good a time as any. So, a 1-0 fastball, barreled it up.”
In 3,338 plate appearances, Moreland has just one career bunt single.