Cora not hip to Smith’s excuse
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Carson Smith’s suggestion that his shoulder was tired from pitching a lot did not go over particularly well with Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
Smith is out indefinitely after suffering a shoulder subluxation as a result from throwing his glove in the dugout after his most recent outing on Monday. It was his fifth appearance in seven days, but he threw only 59 pitches in them.
Smith shouldered most of the blame for his injury, but also noted that he’s been worked a lot, suggesting that workload was related to why he hurt himself.
“I think my shoulder’s tired in general, just from pitching,” he said. “I’ve thrown a lot lately and I think my arm was just tired.”
As of yesterday, there were 159 pitchers who had thrown more than his 141⁄3 innings out of relief this season.
Cora doesn’t think he overworked Smith.
“I don’t agree with it,” Cora said before last night’s 6-4 win over Oakland. “I don’t agree with it. On a daily basis we talk to pitchers and how they feel. If they don’t think they can pitch that day, we stay away from them.
“It caught me by surprise. If he felt that way he should’ve told it to us or he should’ve mentioned it.”
Cora hadn’t talked to Smith about his comments, but planned to. Each day the manager gets a list from the training staff and pitching coach Dana LeVangie that details who is available to pitch. He noted there was a day in New York when Smith said he wasn’t available and Cora obliged him.
“All the relievers, we talk to them on a daily basis, ‘where you guys at?’” Cora said. “And we have information too, but their input is very important to our decision making and there’s been some days that he felt that he wasn’t available and there’s others that he was available.”
Dustin’ off the rust
Where will Dustin Pedroia bat in the order when the second baseman returns to the Sox?
Cora has an idea, but wasn’t ready to share it.
Pedroia was supposed to play his second rehab game with Triple-A Pawtucket yesterday but that was rained out. He’s next scheduled to play tomorrow with the PawSox.
He didn’t play yesterday because it “was the businessman special, 11 a.m. game,” Cora said. “We still have to take care of him. Tomorrow is an off-day for them. So Friday.”
If the weather is bad, the Sox may send Pedroia to a different minor league affiliate.
“We have to, he needs his repetitions,” Cora said. “We’ll see, we’ll see how that works out. For me it really doesn’t matter the pitching he faces or where he gets them. For me it’s more about playing defense, coming back and doing it for seven innings on back to back days and see how he reacts to it.
“It’s more about repetitions than innings, not the at-bats. This is a guy who can hit at any level . . . . . We’ll find innings somewhere whenever he’s back he’ll be ready to go.”
Inching closer
Pitcher Austin Maddox is getting closer to a rehab assignment.
The right-hander who posted a 0.52 ERA in 171⁄3 innings in his first major league season, then cracked the playoff roster due to his success against right-handed hitters, is recovering from a shoulder issue that has kept him sidelined since spring training.
“Pedey faced him a few times in spring training so he was our best scout in terms of judging his pitches and where he was,” Cora said. “He looks good. ”
Learning lesson
Tyler Thornburg had a rough outing in Pawtucket on Monday, when he served up a leadoff homer, walk and a single and recorded only one out while throwing 19 pitches.
He’ll pitch again tomorrow.
“I talked to him after his outing the other day and sometimes things happen for a reason and he feels that he learned a lot from that outing so that’s good,” Cora said . . . .
Knuckleballer Steven Wright’s first outing of the season on Tuesday night was a good one to Cora, who said he’ll use Wright in more than just long relief situations.
“We’ll see how he bounces back, when he bounces back, that’s the most important thing because that’s going to let us know how long can we go in a night and see when he can bounce back,” Cora said . . . .
The Sox’ top pitching prospect Jay Groome underwent successful Tommy John surgery on his left elbow Tuesday, the team announced. He’s been battling injuries on-and-off since the Sox drafted him 12th overall in 2016.