Winckowski gains speed in bid to be starter

LAKELAND, Fla. — Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow highlighted Josh Winckowski as a pitcher with intriguing stuff during the Winter Meetings in early December.

Breslow, the Sox’ pitching group, and manager Alex Cora believed that Winclowski’s stuff could play as a starter. The question, though, was could he maintain it?

Winckowski, Tanner Houck, and Garrett Whitlock are competing for the final rotation spot. There are question marks surrounding Houck and Whitlock, too.

Can Houck turnover a lineup more than once or twice? Can he fill up the zone enough?

Can Whitlock stay healthy enough in order to maintain his starter status? Or is he more of a bullpen piece?

Monday afternoon marked Winckowski’s second chance to showcase himself as he continues to build up this spring. The righthander hurled 2„ innings, yielding two hits and a run while striking out a pair in the Sox’ 2-1 loss to the Tigers.

“I’m just trying to make sure I hold velo,” Winckowski said. “I want to be more toward my reliever bullpen through four, five, or six innings as we build up in the spring. And then just working on the breaking balls, slider. Just chipping away at that.”

Though it came in just his third inning of work, Winckowski’s second-tolast pitch was his hardest, clocking in at 96 miles per hour on the outside corner of the plate.

Winckowski’s velocity really plays up, he said, when he’s letting his body flow.

“When I throw 80 percent, I usually throw harder,” he said. “The first two innings I was kind of out there trying to chuck it. And then the last inning kind of threw at that 80 percent. It’s still something that I’m working on myself.”

Dominican trip nears

When the Red Sox travel to the Dominican Republic for the weekend to play the Rays in a pair of exhibitions in Santo Domingo, Kutter Crawford will start the Saturday game and be followed Sunday by Whitlock.. Houck likely will be paired with Crawford and, perhaps, Winckowski with Whitlock for the finale.

“We’re covered,” Cora said.

The Sox will bring along a solid number of everyday players for the trip,, including Triston Casas, Trevor

Story, Tyler O’Neill, Rafael Devers, and Masataka Yoshida.

“We’re taking this very serious,” Cora said. “I think it’s a good thing for us, kind of like a change of pace, moving from [Fort Myers] and going over there for three days.”

Jansen on schedule

Kenley Jansen has yet to appear in a spring game. But that is by design.

The 36-year-old closer threw off the bullpen mound Monday. He will be back on the mound Thursday and again Sunday, with his first appearance in a game scheduled for March 12 against the Cardinals at JetBlue Park.

“My arm feels great,” said Jansen, who was slowed by some shoulder stiffness early in camp and has been largely on his own program since. “Everything is on schedule.”

Once he joins exhibition play, Jansen will pitch every few days with a final appearance tentatively scheduled for March 25 at Texas. That would give him two days off before Opening Day in Seattle on March 28.

Jansen appeared in only six spring training games last season then allowed one earned run in his first 12 appearances of the regular season.

“This is the best way for me,” Jansen said. “Get my body ready then start pitching and go right into the season.”

Rafaela rebounds

Ceddanne Rafaela was overmatched by Detroit lefthander Tarik Skubal Monday. Rafaela chased a four-seam fastball above the zone before ultimately swinging and missing on a changeup and two-seamer in what amounted to a four-pitch at-bat. In his second at-bat, however, Rafaela lifted his first homer of the spring against Tyler Holton ona changeup. Rafaela was out in front on the pitch but caught just enough barrel for a solo shot to left field. Rafaela also made a diving catch. The Sox, seemingly, want Rafaela to be their everyday center fielder out of camp. Cora said before the game that the club has been impressed with Rafaela’s plate discipline, an area of growth . . . The players who stayed back at Fenway South went through a two-hour workout . . . The Sox, who have averaged 8,631 fans through four games at JetBlue Park (one sellout) host the Rays Tuesday.