Marlins’ outbreak ‘wakeup call’ for Red Sox
The coronavirus season is a numbers game and so far, the Red Sox are doing OK.
Despite losing Eduardo Rodriguez, Josh Taylor and Darwinzon Hernandez to COVID-19, the Sox have not lost any players who chose to voluntarily drop out of the season other than Collin McHugh, whose decision was influenced by an elbow injury.
Manager Ron Roenicke said Monday that while the coronavirus has decimated the Miami Marlins, who had 11 people test positive over the weekend, the Red Sox believe they’re safe and healthy.
Roenicke is not expecting anyone to drop out of the season but said “it’s certainly possible, there’s no question. I know guys that had question marks before this all started are watching very closely to what goes on. There is that possibility. I just don’t know any of our guys who are there right now and I think the more we keep them safe, the more comfortable they feel, hopefully we can continue on.”
The Marlins’ outbreak occurred in Philadelphia during their first series of the season. It prompted the Yankees to cancel their upcoming trip to Philly and the Marlins to be quarantined in their hotel for the time being.
Roenicke said the Red Sox will keep playing games. If there is an outbreak or concern, they’ve been instructed to call Major League Baseball and let their experts make a decision on whether or not to keep playing.
The Sox had a Zoom meeting Monday morning with chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom, team doctor Dr. Larry Ronan, the training staff and the players to discuss the Marlins’ outbreak.
“Just going over the points again about trying to follow the protocols to make sure this doesn’t happen to our team,” Roenicke said. “We’ve been really good so far, look what we’ve done here, but we are going on the road and we need to be careful.”
The players have not expressed concern.
“Nobody really said much,” Roenicke said. “I’m hopeful it scares them a little bit into, ‘Hey, I know we’ve been good at this, but we can be better. We can stop fistbumping and stop doing the things that the protocols are trying to get us not to do. I realize the emotions that come into play when you score or a run or hit a home run, get a big strikeout. I understand all those things. But we have to keep reminding guys to try to stay with the things that our medical department have said are safe.”
Benny eyes breakout
Andrew Benintendi believes the Red Sox are taking all the necessary safety protocols to make sure an outbreak doesn’t happen, but it’s making for an unusual experience at Fenway Park.
“There is some weird stuff,” he said. “I feel like you don’t really have that communication with all your teammates, because you’re not really allowed to really — times are staggered, so you’ll go days without talking to a guy just because you don’t see him or they’re out in the bullpen while you’re in the dugout. And then after the game, obviously you can’t hang out. So, maybe that’s the big difference.”
Benintendi began the season 0-for-10 with five strikeouts and two walks but was back in Monday’s lineup at the leadoff spot against the Mets and right-hander
Michael Wacha.
“I’m usually a slow starter,” he said. “It’s been two games. I think once that first one falls, hopefully I’ll get things going. I think right now I’m a little jumpy. I feel like I’m out in front of everything, so I’ve just got to make an adjustment.”
JBJ leading league
The Sox are keeping the red-hot Jackie Bradley Jr. at the bottom of the order.
Bradley had an excellent summer camp and took that into the season, as he entered Monday tied for the MLB lead with seven hits while leading the league in average (.636). He was batting eighth for the Sox.
Bradley also made headlines this weekend for his family’s support of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. Volunteers typically collect socks for homeless people at Fenway Park this time of year, but instead the Bradleys are helping collect donations at bhchp.org.
Mitch Moreland and his family are also leading a fundraiser. The Morelands are raising money for Boston Children’s Hospital “Christmas in July,” in which players typically visit the hospital to meet with kids. The Morelands said they’ll match all donations to the fundraiser, up to $10,000.
Offense down
After MLB’s opening weekend, scoring was down.
MLB average was 4.3 runs per game (per team) in the first four days of the season. Last year, the average was 4.8 runs per game. Starting pitchers are averaging 4 M innings; they averaged 5 L innings last year.
No team swept in the first series of the year, with every three-game series split 2-1.