Boston right-wing rally has Sabathia on edge

BOSTON — In the aftermath of last week’s violence in Charlottesville, Va., the Yankees are taking extra precautions due to being in Boston during Saturday’s “Free Speech” rally and expected counterdemonstrations at and near Boston Common. It also has drawn the attention of CC Sabathia, who is scheduled to start Saturday night.

Yankees security has monitored the situation throughout the week, and the team bus will take a different route from the hotel, which is located less than a block from the Common, where several right-wing groups are expected to attend the rally. The Boston Herald reported members of the Ku Klux Klan also will be there.

“I’ve researched it and got a little nervous,” said Sabathia, who has his 13-year-old son, also named CC, with him. “Especially having him here and not knowing what to expect.”

Since the rally is scheduled to be over in the afternoon, Sabathia is hopeful it ends before he heads to Fenway Park on the team bus, but he naturally is concerned about being so close to potential violence after a car rammed into counterprotesters last week in Virginia, killing a woman.

“It’s just scary from the standpoint of not knowing what’s gonna happen after Charlottesville and people getting run over,” Sabathia said. “I’m confident we’ll be safe, just going from the hotel to the bus to here, but all you can do is hope for the best.”

Thousands are expected to show up Saturday from both sides, with hundreds of police officers on duty to try to prevent any violence from breaking out.

“It’s very troubling in 2017 that there’s still this kind of racism, but that’s the reality,” Sabathia said. “That’s where we are as a country. We have to do what we can to make it better.”