Red Sox not getting Astro treatment ... yet
FORT MYERS, Fla.— By recent standards, the heckling the Houston Astros heard at JetBlue Park was rather tame. Some boos during pregame introductions, a chant of “cheaters!” in the ninth inning.
Maybe that's because Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and rest of their All-Stars were missing from the lineup against the Boston Red Sox.
Perhaps there was another more pointed reason.
“It could be here, too,” Astros manager Dusty Baker cautioned Thursday. “And then (the Red Sox) got to be careful of the reception.”
Major League Baseball continues to look into allegations the Red Sox illicitly swiped signals during their run to the 2018 World Series title. Manager Alex Cora and the team already have split — that was in the wake of his role as bench coach of the 2017 champion Astros and a signstealing scandal that rocked the sport and resulted in MLB punishment.
“We're still waiting for our investigation to be over. So it's still there,” said Ron Roenicke, who took over for Cora.
“But I think we're pretty focused on what we're doing and what we need to do. And then we'll see what happens with ours. I know (the Astros are) going to have a tough time this year going through what they're going through. But I hear everything that's going on,” he said.
Jeered earlier this spring on exhibition stops in Lakeland against the Tigers and Port St.
Lucie against the Mets, the Astros weren't harshly targeted by the Boston crowd.
The jeers and taunts, such as they were, were not nearly as loud and robust as the Astros have become accustomed to at other road games this spring. Indeed, they were rather lackluster and mild.
NO SALE SURGERY FOR NOW
Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale has a flexor strain near his left elbow and will not be scheduled for Tommy John surgery — for now.
The 30-year-old lefthander felt discomfort in his pitching elbow Monday, a day after throwing his first batting practice of spring training. He had an MRI that was reviewed by team physicians and Drs. James Andrews and Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Sale's ulnar collateral ligament, which was treated with a plateletrich plasma injection last Aug. 19, did not sustain additional damage.
“That's what we're hoping for,” Sale said. “There's optimism to be had, and I'm thankful for that. But I know the situation we're in right now and it's not fun. This is about as tough situation as I've ever been in. ”
Sale is 109-73 in 10 major league seasons is entering the second season of a $160 million, six-year contract. After helping the Red Sox win the 2018 World Series, he went 6-11 with a 4.40 ERA in 25 starts last year, his fewest wins and starts and highest ERA in a full season since 2012.