Looking to regain his touch
JBJ slumping after hot start
Jackie Bradley Jr. played like a man on a mission over the first weekend of the season, but the Red Sox center fielder has reverted to his inconsistent self at the plate since.
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Perhaps no one on the Red Sox has more to benefit from this shortened season than Bradley Jr., who could use a hot stretch or two offensively as he enters free agency after this season. But the results have mostly been strikingly familiar. After going 7-for-11 in the opening series against the Orioles, Bradley was just 3-for-34 since going into Tuesday night’s game against the Rays.
Bradley, though, has been encouraged by his approach at the plate, and he’s mostly chalked up his struggles over the last few weeks as a matter of unluckiness.
“I feel good,” Bradley said. “Obviously, hit some balls right at people. I feel like I’ve had some pretty good atbats, a couple calls here and there that didn’t go my way, but other than that, I feel good, I feel comfortable. I feel like, for the most part, I’m swinging at good pitches, strikes in the zone and I’m just going to keep swinging.”
The left-handed hitting Bradley, who has dealt with shifts to the right side most of his career, has made an effort to hit the ball to the opposite field this season. That showed up in the first game of the season, when he went 3-for-4, which included a pair of doubles to left. Bradley’s batted balls to the opposite field are at 40.5 percent this season, way up from his 23.5 percent rate last season.
But opposing pitchers have made adjustments against him. Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers said over the weekend that Bradley has been pitched inside more, which is not his strength, and that they’re working on making that counter adjustment.
“If you look at all of my hits this year, it’s been the other way,” Bradley said. “I obviously made a conscious decision to try to beat it. That’s why a lot of balls have been hit to short, to the left side. Obviously I’m trying to work at it, competing, trying to get a pitch I can handle and we’ll keep continuing to progress on that.”
Benintendi back in leadoff spot
Ron Roenicke’s experimentation with the top of his lineup continued Tuesday as he put Andrew Benintendi back in the leadoff spot. Alex Verdugo stayed at No. 2 in the order after Kevin Pillar had the top spot on Monday.
“Just still switching them off and trying to figure out where one belongs versus another,” Roenicke said. “They both, I think, would probably prefer hitting second so it’s kind of switching them off there but also looking at pinch-hit situations on where we think if we do make a switch with a pinchhitter where that fits better.”
Roenicke said he continues to have conversations with both about where they feel the most comfortable.
“I think when you have big success no matter where you’re at, you feel better in that situation and want to do it,” Roenicke said. “I don’t want to say, neither one of them has told me they don’t want to lead off. It’s just, when you talk to somebody about their preferences and where they’re more comfortable, hitting second you get to watch kind of a batter ahead of you and what goes on. Sometimes that’s important to you.”
Devers out again
Rafael Devers, who was seen in a walking boot Monday as he deals with a sore ankle, was out of the lineup again Tuesday. Roenicke said the third baseman made significant progress in his recovery on Tuesday as he took ground balls on the field and hit in the batting cage.
“He’s doing way better,” Roenicke said. “We weren’t quite sure where he was going to be at after last night but a lot better today.”
Mitch Moreland, who Roenicke said was unavailable to pinch hit in the ninth inning of Monday’s loss due to a knee issue, was back in Tuesday’s lineup.
Springs sent down, Stock rises
In an effort to provide a fresh arm to a tiring bullpen, the Red Sox recalled righthander Robert Stock. Lefty Jeffrey Springs, who pitched in relief on Monday, was sent back down to the alternate training site.
Stock, who the Red Sox claimed off waivers in late July, is a big arm who has the ability to touch 100 mph with his fastball.
“Hopefully he gets that good stuff in the strike zone and where he wants it and he’s had success before in the major leagues so hopefully that’s what we see with a good fresh arm,” Roenicke said.