Schwarber’s debut at first put on hold
Duran returns to the big club as Renfroe goes on bereavement list
Kyle Schwarber’s first base debut had to wait at least a day, and Jarren Duran was back with the Red Sox on Thursday. But it came under unfortunate circumstances.
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
Hunter Renfroe had a death in his family, and will be out for an uncertain amount of time. The right fielder, who leads baseball with 10 home runs in the month of August, was placed on the bereavement/family medical emergency list. Duran, who was sent down to Worcester on Tuesday, returned to start Thursday’s series finale against the Twins.
“Thoughts and prayers with his family, of course,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora
said. “He’s going to be missed. We don’t know yet obviously when he’s going to come back but that’s where we’re at.”
Renfroe’s absence meant Alex Verdugo was in left field with Duran in center and J.D. Martinez in left and Bobby Dalbec at first against Twins right-hander John Gant.
Schwarber theoretically could have still played first, but Cora suggested the way they aligned defensively made them want to wait on putting him there. He said Schwarber will play first at some point this weekend in Cleveland.
Schwarber has been learning first since being acquired at the trade deadline, and Cora noted Wednesday that he’s eager to make a start there.
“I’m excited, I’m ready for the challenge,” Schwarber said after Wednesday’s loss. “I feel like the work that we’ve been putting in has been pretty good. What happens happens and whenever
I get in there, I’m going to give it everything I got, and I want to make the play for that guy on the mound and for the team, and just go from there and see what happens.”
Cora trusting Davis
Austin Davis may be flying under the radar, but the lefty reliever has quietly been very effective since being acquired by the Red Sox in the trade deadline for Michael Chavis. He threw 2 2/3 perfect innings in Wednesday’s loss to the Twins, which was critical as the Red Sox completed a comeback before ultimately falling in extras.
Davis has thrown five consecutive scoreless outings for the Red Sox, a stretch in which he’s allowed just two hits in 6 1/3 innings.
“Little by little, he has
found his rhythm,” Cora said. “He has made some mechanical adjustments and I think we understand who he is and his stuff. (Wednesday) the changeup was outstanding. The fastball has been playing since Day 1 here. He did an amazing job. He’s gaining confidence. We’re gaining confidence because we have seen him more often now. We know who he is. What he did (Wednesday), it gave us a chance to win the ballgame. We’re gaining trust, little by little.”
Martinez pressing
Entering Thursday, Martinez was mired in an 0-for-15 slump after going hitless in his third consecutive game, tying a season-high, as he saw his batting average slip to .283, his lowest since Opening Day. In what’s been
a theme this season, Cora believed that Martinez needed to be less aggressive and try to work more walks. Martinez had walked just five times with 21 strikeouts in August entering Thursday.
“That’s something we’ve been talking about for a while,” Cora said. “His swing rate and his chase rate have been going up. Obviously he feels like he’s such an important part of this offense that he feels the burden of, ‘Yeah, I’ve got to do my part.’ But sometimes doing your part is actually taking pitches, walking and keeping the line moving. So we’ve been talking about that.”
Odds & ends
Xander Bogaerts was out of Thursday’s lineup. Kiké Hernandez started at shortstop instead, with Christian Arroyo
at second base. … Darwinzon Hernandez (oblique) is scheduled to throw another bullpen on Friday. Danny Santana (groin) started for Double-A Portland on Thursday as his rehab assignment continued.
… The final fundraising total for this year’s WEEI/ NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon surpassed $3.7 million. Since 2002, the event has now raised more than $61 million.