Cora deals with Houck fallout
Says expects change by Sept.
Tuesday night may have represented the tipping point to necessitate change when it comes to the Red Sox’ vaccination situation.
A day after a perfect storm of a disaster unfolded in Toronto — where unvaccinated closer Tanner Houck was unavailable and the Red Sox couldn’t hold on to a one-run ninthinning lead in a brutal loss to the Blue Jays — manager Alex Cora suggested things won’t be the same when they return to Toronto in September for their next road series against the Jays.
“I do believe when we come in September, it’s gonna be different,” Cora told reporters in Toronto.
Cora didn’t elaborate, but said his belief wasn’t rooted in anything he knows about the laws in Canada, which right now prohibits anyone from entering the country if they’re not vaccinated against COVID-19.
“I do believe for September, it’s going to change, from our end,” Cora told reporters. “Let’s leave it at that. I bet you a dollar it’s going to change.”
The Red Sox were without Houck and Jarren Duran for this week’s series in Toronto, and both were working out at Fenway Park on Wednesday. Chris Sale, who last season said he’s unvaccinated, is continuing to rehab from a stress fracture in his right rib cage, would presumably be back for that Toronto series in September.
Cora didn’t want to use the Houck situation as an excuse for Tuesday’s loss, though he certainly looked frustrated during his postgame press conference in the moments after the defeat. On Wednesday, appearing on WEEI’s “Merloni, Fauria & Mego,” the manager said it was something they just had to work through.
Without Houck, Cora was forced to readjust, and he used Tyler Danish — who normally pitches in low leverage situations — for a second inning before going to Hansel Robles, who ultimately gave up the walkoff hit to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for his fifth blown save of the season. Neither recorded an out.
““It’s something that we knew it was going to be,” Cora said on WEEI. “We have 26 guys and Tanner is not here and Jarren is not here. A lot of people see it that way. The way I see it, you gotta get 27 outs. There’s days that … obviously in this situation, it’s because of the vaccination status here in Canada. But there’s days that Tanner is unavailable and we have to get 27 outs. We didn’t do that.
“This team … we don’t talk about the subject, we don’t talk about the situation. We just talk about the day we have to attack and yesterday, we were very close to finishing the game and we didn’t do that.”
Houck will rejoin the team Friday in Chicago when the Red Sox begin a series against the Cubs. Cora doesn’t suspect that the pitcher will be treated differently in the clubhouse by his teammates because he left them shorthanded. They already experienced this in April after their first series in Toronto.
“He’ll be fine,” Cora told WEEI. “We went through this the last time and I think we went to Baltimore. The next day was business as usual. This is a tight group, obviously. People make decisions. Right now, it is what it is and we have to deal with it. Like I said last night, we got 26 guys here that we have to try to finish games. It didn’t happen yesterday.”
Whitlock back to bullpen?
Garrett Whitlock may be heading back to the Red Sox’ bullpen.
As the right-hander, who threw another bullpen Wednesday in Toronto, continues to work his way back from a hip injury, conversations are ongoing inside the organization about Whitlock’s role when he returns. Whitlock started the season as a reliever before being moved to the starting rotation in late April, and now a return to the bullpen seems like a real possibility.
“We’re talking about it,” Cora said Wednesday on “Merloni, Fauria & Mego.” “Obviously health has to do with it. Chaim (Bloom) is on the trip and (head trainer) Brad Pearson. We’re talking. There’s different thoughts, of course. Going back to the bullpen is one of them. We’ll see where we’re at, but first things first, we need him healthy and it’s trending in the right direction.”
A move back to the ‘pen is logical. Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi will be back soon from their respective injuries, and both are locked in as starters. With those two and Nick Pivetta, Michael Wacha and Rich Hill making up the rotation, it would make sense to send Whitlock to the bullpen.
The Red Sox view Whitlock as a starter long-term, but for this season and this team, he may be better suited as a reliever. Tuesday’s stunning loss to the Blue Jays exposed Boston’s need for another reliable right-hander out of the bullpen beyond Houck and John Schreiber, and Whitlock thrived in relief as a rookie last season and to start this season. He had a 0.93 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings as a multiinning ace reliever before he became a starter. He recorded a 4.15 ERA in nine starts before he got hurt.
“We saw what he did last year and we saw what he did early in the season. We’ve seen what he has done as a starter,” Cora told reporters in Toronto. “People have this thing that he’s not a good starter. In six innings we’re going to give up runs. That’s part of being a starter. … He’s a weapon, regardless. He’s going to get important outs either early in the game or late in the game. We’ll just have to wait and see and talk about it and make a decision.”
Odds & ends
Eovaldi threw a 28-pitch bullpen on Wednesday, but nothing has been further planned as the pitcher returns from a back injury.
“He felt good,” Cora told reporters. “Fastball, split. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow and we’ll plan for the weekend. But nothing yet. He still has to get through the process.” …
Sale is set for his next rehab start tonight in Portland. He’s expected to pitch three innings at a sold out Hadlock Field.