Speedy prospect Duran recalled
Outfielder was hitting .397 in Triple-A
Jarren Duran’s second chance in the big leagues began on Friday night.
With Kiké Hernandez added to the COVID-19 injury list after experiencing symptoms that started on Thursday, the Red Sox recalled Duran, a top prospect entering last year who struggled in 33 games before getting sent back to the minors.
Duran is off to a torrid start with Triple-A Worcester, where he’s begun to focus more on making contact and using his electric speed to make things happen. He has just two home runs in 15 games, but is hitting .397 with a stunning .478 on-base percentage and has gone 7-for-8 in stolen base attempts.
“Playing well,” manager Alex Cora said. “Like I told you guys at the end of spring training, I do believe for how dynamic he is and everybody got caught up on him hitting the ball in the air, but the version that we saw in spring training is a better version than the one we saw last year.”
The Sox wasted no time getting him into the lineup, as they started him in Friday’s series-opener against the White Sox. He was playing center field and batting leadoff. With a refined plate approach and the ability to make things happen on the bases, he could stay in the leadoff spot going forward.
“We’ll talk about it depending on what happens,” Cora said. “He’s here today. Let’s put it that way.”
Duran has said he had to do a lot of reflecting this offseason after his struggles in the big leagues last year, when he hit just .215 with a remarkable 40 strikeouts to just four walks in 107 atbats.
“After the first time, I felt like a complete failure,” he said. “What people say about you, you hear what people say about you and you feel bad about yourself. The second time, it feels like redemption. I’m going to come out here and play the way I know how to play and play with my hair on fire.”
He said he’s focused more on speed and bunting than hitting home runs. Cora said Duran is 3-for-3 in bunting for hits in the minors and the Sox are hoping he does some of that out of the leadoff spot.
“I feel like I used to have that in college and then I lost it when I got to pro ball,” Duran said. “I feel like I’m finally getting back to it again, which is a good feeling. I feel like I can use all my tools again.”
He still has his rookie status and would be eligible for Rookie of the Year voting, if he makes that kind of impact this year.
“It feels good just to get back to where I was,” he said. “Line drives, maybe tap into the power some of the time. Just get on base for guys. Just run the bases, and like I said, play with my hair on fire.”
Story searching
With Duran batting leadoff, the Sox moved the struggling Trevor Story down to second in front of Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez.
Story was hitting just .196 with a .288 on-base percentage in 13 games out of the leadoff spot.
After his 0-for-4 day with four strikeouts against Shohei Ohtani, Story spent more than an hour in the batting cages before going home on Friday night.
“That’s typical,” Story said. “There are certain ways I think to handle things sometimes for me and yesterday it felt like one of those days. Obviously not the results I wanted. I just didn’t feel right. So it was time to get in there and put in a little work.”
Story said he heard the boos from the Fenway Park crowd after his fourth strikeout.
“Yeah, sure, of course you hear it, but that’s part of it,” he said. “Strike out four times like that, that’s to be expected a little bit. Come up in a couple big spots, didn’t come through, that comes with the territory. It’s not something that caught me off guard or anything. We all just want to win. I know the fans do, too. So that’s it.”
Two added to COVID-IL
Hernandez wasn’t the only player placed on the COVID-19 related injury list, as the Sox also added Rich Hill to the list and recalled right-hander John Schrieber from Worcester.
Neither Hernandez nor Hill had tested positive as of Friday evening, but both were experiencing symptoms, which is enough for a team to be able to place a player on the COVID-IL.
The Sox have lost a handful of players and their manager to COVID-19 already this year.
“We’re doing what we’re supposed to do,” Cora said. “It’s a different world compared to last year. Different world compared to three years ago. I think the most important thing that we have going, it’s like, if you feel sick, talk to the training staff. That’s something that the message is loud and clear … That’s been the message. Be smart.”