Bolstered bullpen in good form
Jansen, Martin close in on joining new mix of relievers
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Trade speculation involving Kenley Jansen isn’t as loud as it was a month ago.
The Red Sox closer’s shoulder issue to open up camp coupled with a dry market has certainly played a role. As such, there’s a strong chance Jansen will open up the season as one of the main pieces to the Sox bullpen.
Jansen threw his second live batting practice, roughly 20 pitches, Tuesday morning at Fenway South. He will take the mound Friday in game action for the first time this spring, believing he needs just five outings to feel ready for the season.
“I feel better,” Jansen said. “The more I keep competing.”
Fellow righthander Chris Martin (groin) will throw live BP either Wednesday or Thursday. Martin also hasn’t appeared in a spring game to this point, but is trending in the right direction. In short, the bullpen is rounding into form. That bodes well for the Sox, who have had some positive showings from relievers, including a pair of righties acquired in offseason trades. Isaiah Campbell hasn’t conceded a run in five appearances. Greg Weissert has surrendered just a run, also in five appearances.
“That’s the reason we were able to make that trade with Kansas City, [trading John Scheiber],” manager Alex Cora said. “We felt Campbell and Weissert are really good at what they do. Are they perfect? They still have to keep growing and keep learning. But stuff-wise, it’s what we’re looking for. Campbell can get lefties out, which is very important nowadays. Weissert, we’ve faced him before [with the Yankees] so we know that his stuff is really good. We just got to make sure we throw it over the plate.”
Campbell and Weissert are strong candidates to assume Schreiber’s role as a late-inning, highleverage reliever.
Campbell’s reverse splits — lefties hit just .163 against him last year when he worked out of the Mariners bullpen — give Cora another option/ wiggle room. The Sox have implemented a twoseamer into Campbell’s arsenal, too, in order to make his stuff more difficult for righties to handle.
Lefthander Jorge Benitez, who signed a minor league deal with the Sox, struck out three in one inning of work against the Pirates Monday, bringing his total to 10 strikeouts in 4„ spring innings.
Justin Slaten, acquired in a trade with the
Mets after New York selected him from the Rangers in the Rule 5 draft, has made quite the impression, too, holding opponents scoreless in five appearances. The righty is out of options and must remain on the big league roster for the year’s entirety if the Sox want to keep him.
“He’s actually making it easy,” Cora said. “The other way around. He’s been throwing the ball excellent. Everything we throw at him, he adds to the games.”
“I always knew I could throw strikes,” said Slaten who has struggled with command in the past but has just a walk and a hit batter on his ledger this spring. “I’m good enough. So, for me to be able to go in last year and get good work in with the pitching coaches that I had with the Rangers and just see the like, if I can compete in the zone with my stuff I’ll have success. I just carry that mentality of every pitch: attack, attack, attack.”
Bello’s spring struggles
It’s just spring training, but it hasn’t been a good one so far for Brayan Bello. The 24-year-old, who inked a six-year, $55 million extension last weekend, has a 6.75 ERA in three starts, a number that grew in an 8-6 loss to the Cardinals at JetBlue Park.
Bello tossed roughly 65 pitches, a goal for the righthander coming into the start, but yielded four runs in three-plus innings. He gave up six hits and two walks while striking out one.
“He was erratic,” Cora said.
Bello was tagged for a solo homer by Alec Burleson, a lefty who unloaded on a changeup that caught the heart of the plate.
This spring, with an eye toward more success in matchups vs. lefties, Bello has implemented a cutter that should get in on their hands. He has attempted to sculpt a better four-seamer, too, locating it above the zone; so far, however, it hasn’t worked.
“Every four-seam fastball I seem to throw, they hit it,” Bello said.
Refsnyder suffers cracked toe
Rob Refsnyder placed his hands on his face while seated at his locker at Fenway South. The outfielder appeared noticeably disturbed after he was hit by a pitch in the foot during the loss.
Refsnyder, wearing a walking boot, said he suffered a small crack in a toe on his left foot. The injury could sideline him for the start of the season.
The Sox currently have six players, including Refsnyder, in their outfield mix. Ceddanne Rafaela, who homered again vs. St. Louis, almost seems like a sure bet to make the team out of spring training. If Refsnyder starts the season on the injured list, the remaining five outfielders — Rafaela, Jarren Duran, Tyler O’Neill, Masataka Yoshida, and Wilyer Abreu — likely will be on the Opening Day roster.
ALS Awareness Game at Fenway
The ALS Awareness Game between Boston College and the University of Virginia will be played April 25 at 7 p.m. at Fenway Park. Tickets for the game, held in memory of former BC captain Pete Frates, are available at redsox.com/alsgame. Proceeds benefit the Pete Frates Foundation, a nonprofit that supports ALS patients and families.