The Red Sox have placed designated hitter J.D. Martinez on the COVID-related injured list today after he wasn’t feeling well, per Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). Martinez joins centerfielder Jarren Duran as players recently placed on the COVID-related IL. Test results have not returned for either Martinez or Duran, notes The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey. Connor Wong has been added to the active roster in Martinez’s place.
- Tanner Houck was also added to the roster to make a start in today’s doubleheader, notes Abraham. He will be their 27th man. Houck has a 2.45 ERA in 22 innings, which includes four starts and a pair of appearances out of the pen — his last start coming on July 28th. His Triple-A numbers haven’t been quite as good, but no matter where he’s pitched, he’s been striking out batters, owning a combined 31.3 percent strikeout rate on the year.
- Elsewhere in the American League East, the Rays reinstated Collin McHugh from the injured list, optioning Louis Head to Triple-A, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Head has been tremendous when active, tossing 20 innings with a 1.35 ERA/2.71 FIP. McHugh is no slouch himself, however, with a 1.51 ERA/1.36 FIP across 41 2/3 innings. Both right-handers have been able to fill a role as a multi-inning reliever for manager Kevin Cash.
- In the National League, the Phillies placed Chase Anderson on the 10-day injured list with right triceps tendinitis, recalling Nick Maton from Triple-A, per the team. With a 6.75 ERA/5.85 FIP on the year, one would think that Anderson’s rotation spot would be up for grabs if his absence.The first-place Phillies won’t need to fill his rotation spot until next Saturday, notes The Athletic’s Matt Gelb (via Twitter).
why didn’t we get another SP. surely Davies could have been had?
Who is “we?”
Philly
I’m interested to find out if they pursued Hamels at all beyond what DD said, he definitely could have helped.
One thing to note in the positive side for Dombrowski when it comes to the draft? He stays away from soft tossers and looks for guys who throw hard.
Imagine was same in a way, with Hamels when he was looking for possible SP help. A late 30’s guy, who now needs pinpoint control and everything to work perfect, plus hasn’t pitched in 2y, or continue looking for his preferred harder throwing types?
Do credit him in Boston for turnaround draft (pitching style wise) of drafting all those hard throwers in 2017 and that type in all of his drafts, pretty much different than both Epstein and Cherrington had previously, unless someone fell into their laps (Kopech).
DD just seemed to value light throwers less, like Porcello when he had him in Detroit giving him up for another rental
I could be missing a bunch of guys, but besides Houck who did DD draft that really payed off? I would take Kopech over Houck and although they didn’t pan out Epstein and Cherrington drafted a whole bunch of pitching prospects (admittedly they didn’t pan out) like Barnes, Brian Johnson, ect.
bruh you missed the best of all of them: Ball
Didn’t say those hard throwers DD drafted from 2017 all panned out, just that he changed the way they drafted pitching. Houck may be only 1 from that draft to see MLB time in Boston. Scherff, flamed as a SP, finally converted to relieving and was doing good this year until flipped at deadline this year. jake Thompson, Zach schellenger, aaron perry others from that draft who have not worked out, but different approach other than same old failed approach of big bodied pitchers with 4 pitches that throw 90.. Like brian Johnson being the ONLY one drafted to get more than a cup of coffe at MLB level and was a wasted 1st round pick himself.
My view is that, if a team didn’t trade one of their players, then they weren’t really on the block. Past that, they already traded Howard. They aren’t particularly deep.
They thought they had Tyler Anderson. So they were definitely trying to address the situation. To be fair, when Eflin comes back, that’s a pretty solid 1-5. Wheeler, Nola, Gibson, Suarez, Eflin.
Oh yeah I forgot they made Suarez a starter. If he’s able to handle the role well, Phillies rotation seems just fine actually.
And stop calling us Shirley.
Maybe a little time off can help JDM out of his slump too…
GASoxFan – The JD slump is on Cora. Not shocking I would say that I’m sure but Cora mixed the batting order over the three years in Boston and the Red Sox have always fared well with JD hitting 3. In 2018 on July 31 he changed it and it impacted the team. He recently did it and JD went into a bit of a tailspin. Check the box scores because he was coming out of it once he got put back in the 3 hole.
When JD returns check his spot in the order. That should dictate his success.
If he’s that fragile what the heck is wrong with him? Cora has to put together the best lineup for the team. If JD can’t move up or down without going into a total tailspin then he shouldn’t be in MLB. It’s a slump. They happen. Also he’s had a similar amount of at-bats hitting 3,4, & 5 throughout his career. He’s hit about the same from each spot.
mookiessnarl16 mins ago
Also he’s had a similar amount of at-bats hitting 3,4, & 5 throughout his career. He’s hit about the same from each spot.
=====================================
#3 .862 OPS
#4 .893
#5 .886
#6 .892
That’s about as close as one can get.
mookiessnarl – Don’t let facts get in the way. Just make stuff up!! Wow. Are you related to JoeBrady? Cherry picking data to mislead people.
Look at the entire picture not just the numbers that support your case like JB does. JD lost a MVP opportunity in 2018 thanks to Cora. JD lost a chance to rally the team after Cora’s screw up put them 10 games out in April 2019 but Cora screwed him and the team including DD by once again changing the line-up..
Again, 2021 has Cora screwing up with bad line-ups after someone convinces of a good line-up and it’s very successful!! He can’t check his huge ego and just let what’s working continue to work. He needs to put his own spin on it and it’s always bad news for the Red Sox. Nuke Laloosh got the advice somebody should share with Cora. Don’t think, it hurts the team!!!
BS
What a fantastic manager Cora is!!! Gotta love how he pulls Pivetta after just 76 pitches, with announcers and everyone else noting how Nick was getting stronger as the game went on. But it’s all about the matchups … the matchups …. Cora’s computer said Barnes would fare better than Pivetta in the 7th ….. Cora must always listen to his computer …. just like when he pulled Pivetta at 100 pitches while tossing a no-hitter in Tampa …. same outcome for Alex Cora, manager of the year!!!
256-179 W-L in his career as a manager thus far. What a bum!
Cheating
If you read the commissioner’s report on the 2018 Red Sox you would know they found no evidence of cheating. After months of investigation, MLB admitted they they “largely do not have direct evidence” of any wrongdoing. There was no evidence and they relied on “inferences” aka guesses to give the Red Sox a light penalty. I think MLB did this to avoid looking dumb for having started the investigation. Go read the report. No evidence. Just speculation.
Grady Little had a virtually identical winning percentage with the Sox. Did history show he was a good manager?
All In The Suit, what the heck are you talking about? Eleven Red Sox players provided evidence that the video replay monitor was being used to decode the signs of their opponents.
And I wouldn’t call the loss of a 2nd round pick a “light” penalty.
What was the evidence??As the report says, the players made inferences.. That is speculation. There was no evidence which is why MLB said they “largely do not have direct evidence”. MLB concluded that the Red Sox “may have benefitted” and “potentially benefitted” from what they speculated happened. What a joke. Losing a 2nd round pick is not that big of a deal. If someone ever comes up with evidence of an actual cheating event, then we can call them cheaters. Players speculating is not evidence to me. It seemed pretty obvious when I read the commissioner’s report.
From the commissioner’s report. No evidence. Only speculation.
“The crux of this matter involves resolving a factual dispute regarding whether Watkins utilized game feeds from the replay room to revise the sign sequence information that he had provided to players prior to the game (and sometimes during the game) based on his advance work. Watkins claims that all of the sign information that he provided to players during the game was based either on his advance work or information communicated to him by Red Sox players who had stolen signs while on second base. Certain witnesses, to varying degrees, said that based on a combination of factors, they BELIEVED that Watkins at least on occasion did use the game feed in the replay room to provide players with updated sign sequence information.”
“The witnesses who believe that Watkins obtained sign sequence information from in-game video feeds largely do not have direct evidence, but most based their BELIEF primarily on INFERENCES that they drew from the way the information was communicated during the game, including the fact that the sign sequence information Watkins provided during the game differed on some occasions from the information he had provided prior to the game.”
Manfred wrote, “11 witnesses identified features of Watkins’ in-game communications that indicated to them that Watkins had at times acquired the sign sequence information from the replay room during the game.”
The commissioner said six witnesses claimed that they observed Watkins writing signs during games, and four said they saw him use gestures or notes to communicate signs when a video-room monitor was present, which made them think he was trying to conceal prohibited conduct.
Why would 11 Red Sox players make this stuff up? These accusations didn’t come from opponents.
As for the “may have benefitted” and “potentially benefited” wording, they have to be very specific because proving the stolen signs helped them is impossible.
It’s no different than the trashcan banging in Houston. Even if players admitted they were tipped off, how do you prove they used that information to gain an advantage? All they have to say is they heard the stolen signs, but did not act on them.
indicated to them = belief = speculation
No one who saw Watkins writing signs during the game said he then gave that info to them right then. That would have been evidence. He is allowed to write down signs for use after the game as long as he does not pass it along during the game.
made them think = belief = speculation
Whatever was passed from Watkins to players via note or gesture was not found to be evidence of cheating. It is easy to figure out if what was on the note or in the gesture was cheating or not as they are known by the players.
I don’t think players made anything up. I really don’t know what happened in 2018 or what happened during the investigation. Were they asked what they think happened? Sounds like it and that is speculation. I have not seen anything that I consider evidence of cheating.
The first excerpt I posted from the commissioner’s report says the commissioner is trying to decide whose version of events is true. If all he is wondering, that tells me there is no evidence as to what happened.
Correction: If he is wondering, that tells me there is no evidence as to what happened.
AITSTYW – You live in an alternate reality dude. Cora was caught with his pants down twice. The first time immunity motivated players to talk especially since he was in Boston not Houston but the commissioner still got both Hinch and Beltran too thanks to a few honest players.
The second time a combination of the reaction from the Houston situation and Cora mandating to players that they needed to stick together with respect to the cheating by saying nothing. That forced the commissioners hand so he couldn’t prosecute but he acknowledged there were multiple sources confirming the cheating.
Why do you think a guy convicted of cheating was given a job a year later. The guys a moron so it’s not because of his managerial skills. It was because ownership made a deal. If he keeps players from talking and tells nobody about how he knew the owners were aware of the cheating then he could come back a year later. That’s why Boston fans have to suffer through two more years of the worst manager in history.
Watkins was definitely the fall guy, not a chance that he was the only non-player to know about it.
Watkins is Cora’s Greg Anderson.
redsoxu571 – What an ignorant comment!! Seriously, is he playing? NOPE so he’s not impacting games that way.
Did he help them win in 2018? If yes then he made them terrible in 2019. If no, then he’s irrelevant which is a valid point. He can hurt the team with bad in game decisions about pitching, playing small ball or not playing small ball, pinch hitting and defensive alignments late in the game.
He’s a bad manager based on all those criterion because the evidence shows he can’t handle his bullpen, he’s horrible at knowing when to play small ball to win a game, he’s not maximizing defense late in the game to help the pitchers maintain the lead. So many key skills he lacks.
But hey, isn’t it a lot easier to simply quote irrelevant statistics like W=L record when he never plays an inning? He is a bum, that was your one valid point!!!
Combining two conversations here, I think Cora’s tanking of the team in 2019 is a big reason why Henry is reluctant to spend much now. Henry was majorly ticked off that all the money spent to bring back virtually the entire championship team (except JK and CK) didn’t even result in a playoff berth, and of course led to a huge dropoff in TV ratings and other revenue.
In that respect I can’t fault JH, he’s willing to spend as long as he gets a decent ROI.
That is more speculation. You make that statement without any evidence. There was no evidence in the report. As I pointed out before, the commissioner says “The crux of the matter is resolving a factual dispute….”. The facts of what happened are in dispute because there is no evidence.
Yes, I am living in an alternate reality compared to most people regarding the 2018 Red Sox. I am basing my opinion on the evidence and words in the commissioner’s report. The commissioner admits in the report that all the has is speculation.
Correction: All he has is speculation.
AITSTYW – The Athletic had sources who clammed up when it came time to nail Cora. That was unfortunate. It was a huge miscarriage of justice just like the Houston cheating. Far less games impacted in Boston but the managers should have been banned for life, the players involved should have received at least a one year suspension and the owners deserved fines and draft pick penalties.
Without proper deterrents things don’t change. The luxury tax was supposed to be a deterrent to large market teams over spending but the Yankees do it all the time, LAD didn’t want the Yankees to have the record for the greatest over-spending of all time so they surpassed the 2020 Yankees in 2021. Boston has done the same several times as well.
Either make it a hard cap or get rid of it because it’s not working any more than slapping the hands of the three amigos in charge of the Houston cheating or not doing anything to the players in the sign stealing scandal or the substance on the ball scandal. The game severely lacks integrity!!
Guy was only one at the plate other than Verdugo last night who actually looked like he could hit. Red Sox are in trouble if he’s out this whole series and the next one
Red Sox are in trouble whether he’s there or not, if we’re being realistic. The pitching has been just as anemic as the offense the last week or two and it’s still half a month or so before help’s coming.
That half month (13 or so games let’s say) is make or break for them as they still play Toronto 3 more, Yankees and Tampa. Mind you in the next month they also play Baltimore, Texas and Cleveland but still they lose all those al east series then their season might not be over but will be in serious jeopardy as 2 of Tampa Toronto or New York will continue winning
Hard to believe Anderson survived the roster cuts following their additions at the deadline. How does a first place team have a pitcher with those numbers taking up a pretty valuable roster spot during a pennant race?
When your #3 starter gets injured without a timetable for return , and your farm has no one,you go with what you have.
Anderson has to be on a very short leash when he returns…. We need another SP
Anderson should’ve been placed on the eternity list for wearing a hemp necklace as a grown ass man.
Hey Phillies, how y’all liking Ky Gibby?
liked his GWRBI single yesterday.
Love him right now, but still think we gave up too much longterm.
fwiw, Hans Crouse fired 5 IP scoreless for Reading yesterday
Yea. Very happy we at least got a prospect back.
Anyone else notice Martinez is dabbing in the thumbnail for this article?
based
Phillies took over 1st place in the NL East… someone check on Met fan.
“It’s because of injuries.” -MetsFan22
Yeah, the Phillies have been healthy all year. No one out. LOL.
Haha. Hoskins and Cutch being out of the lineup is huge. Didi’s out today as well. Jokes aside, it’s going to be an uphill battle.
Yeah, that’s probably it, @VPHayes.
Meanwhile, the Yanks *entire* starting staff is on one IL or another, yet we are the hottest team in the AL.
Good teams figure it out.
Loving the Yankees new life. Going to be an exciting finish.
They are so much easier to watch since the deadline, serious.
& look at your Phillies, uh?
It’s been Really Ugly for both of our squads. Yet, they both remain relevant & are still playing important games. As a Yankee fan, I guess I am supposed to be too jaded or whatever to be excited about being in a Wild Card race. However, I am not.
I would always rather be in the playoffs before making the switch to hunting full time.
But yessir. Going to be a fun dog days & September.
Well it definitely helps having played the Marlins, Orioles and Mariners in the past 9 games! But I agree, a 4-team divisional race would be darn cool.
LOL
Rays’ bullpen wants Head! Don’t take that away from them!
Just what the Sox neeeded today–no DH for the DH…
JD needed a few days off anyway.
Cora should have been lifetime suspension along with the other clown AJ Hinch
Astros owner should have had to sell all guilty but t Manfred has no BALLS and is ruining baseball.
i