The Red Sox announced that reliever Tyler Danish has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain. To take his place on the active roster, they have selected the contract of righty Michael Feliz. They already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster due to Hansel Robles being designated for assignment recently. However, the news from today that’s most likely to intrigue fans of the club relates to the starting rotation.
The Red Sox are dealing with a rash of injuries to their starting staff, with Nathan Eovaldi, Garrett Whitlock and Rich Hill all currently on the injured list. Michael Wacha also missed his last start due to a “heavy arm,” creating another hole in the rotation. Manager Alex Cora tells reporters, including Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald, that the extra rest hasn’t led to Wacha’s arm recuperating as hoped, meaning it’s possible he joins the others on the IL.
This will have a few ripple effects for the team, one of which seems to be Chris Sale being activated to make his season debut on Tuesday. “He’ll pitch Tuesday,” Cora said, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. “Somewhere, he’ll pitch Tuesday, but there’s a good chance he’ll pitch with us.” Sale threw 72 pitches in his most recent rehab start, and the club is apparently pleased enough with the results that he could be back in the big leagues in a few days.
The return of Sale is tremendous news for Red Sox fans, as he has missed the entirety of the season thus far due to a stress fracture in his rib cage. It’s been a few years since the club has seen Sale at his best, as he missed the entirety of 2020 due to Tommy John surgery. Though he was able to return and throw 42 2/3 innings last year, the results were diminished, at least when compared to his elite levels of previous years. A 3.16 ERA and 28.4% strikeout rate are still very good numbers, but Sale’s ERA was under 3.00 in 2017 and 2018, along with strikeout rates above 36%. Since those 42 2/3 innings are all he’s tallied since the end of the 2019 campaign, it’s fair to wonder what level the 33-year-old will be at in his return. Still, even if there’s a bit of rust, he’ll surely be a welcome addition to the banged-up pitching staff.
Another side effect of the mounting injuries is that Brayan Bello seems to be getting another turn in the rotation. Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom spoke about the matter on The Greg Hill Show (hat tip to Ken Laird of WEEI) and said that Bello will not be moved to the bullpen. Cora then told Browne today that Bello is likely getting another start this week. The injury situation created the opportunity for the prospect to get called up, though he had an uninspiring debut against the Rays, allowing four earned runs in four innings, with six hits, three walks and just two strikeouts.
There is some help on the way, however, as Browne relays that both Whitlock and Eovaldi are starting rehab stints in the coming days. Though Eovaldi will return to the rotation once healthy, Whitlock seems ticketed for bullpen work. Cora told reporters a few days ago that Whitlock was “pretty much likely” going to be coming on in relief in his return.
All things considered, it seems the outlook for the staff should improve in the weeks to come. However, the one bit of bad news in all this relates to Danish. He has been quietly solid in his first MLB action since 2018, throwing 31 1/3 innings for the Red Sox this year with a 4.02 ERA, 19.2% strikeout rate, 6.2% walk rate and 43% ground ball rate. The Sox haven’t provided any estimates on his expected absence, though the fact that his injury is being described as a forearm strain is potentially ominous. A forearm strains is often a precursor to Tommy John surgery, though that’s not true in all cases.
As for Feliz, 29, he was signed to a minor league deal in the offseason and has spent the year in Triple-A thus far. He’s made 18 appearances, which includes three starts, though they were of the opener variety, never logging more than two innings in any of them. Through 24 2/3 innings on the season, he has a 3.28 ERA, 27.7% strikeout rate, 8.9% walk rate and 54.8% ground ball rate.
With a record of 45-37, the Sox are 14 games behind the Yankees in the AL East but are still in possession of one of the three Wild Card slots. With less than four weeks to the August 2 deadline, they will surely be on the lookout for available arms to help them bolster this snakebitten group.
I’m Brayan Bello! I sucked in my debut.
That bird’s crazy!
First real comment – I don’t like how Whitlock is getting jerked around, bullpen to starting rotation and now back to bullpen. Many pitchers have gotten permanently messed up by having that done to them. With that said, it will be great to have both Nate and Chris back. As for the above referenced “available arms” I wouldn’t expect more than the usual obscure buy-low type relievers.
Now would be an excellent time to end the 3-series skid.
Whitlock is not being jerked around. With the Red Sox he’s been strictly a reliever but given the chance to show if he is starter material. Yes he was projecting as a starter with the Yankees but that was in the minor leagues. Aren’t most guys directed towards starting if there any good to begin with?
So he came to the Red Sox, was a stud out of the bullpen, but every guy wants to be a starter so they let him have a shot at it with a fresh spring training. ONE SHOT.., not jerked around. Better for the team he goes back to the bullpen where he began his Sox career.
Gary – Your mention of ST indicates you believe Whitlock began the season in the starting rotation. He did not, he became a starter on April 23rd after four relief appearances. He was converted to the rotation only because Houck was moved to the pen.
I have no qualms with testing him in the rotation to start the season, but they did not. They tested him in the rotation mid-season and are now moving him back. I understand the reasoning, the bullpen is crap and the rotation should be quite good when everyone is healthy. But Whitlock shouldn’t have to pay the price for Bloom’s disastrous offseason reliever acquisitions. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into another Joba/Bard type failure.
Okay great point if my memory failed me. I thought he was stretched out in Spring training.
The Sox are going to be highly dependent on their rookie pitchers over the next couple of weeks. Expect starts from Wincowski, Seabold and Bello, plus heavy usage of Kutter Crawford as well. This couldn’t have come at a worse time for Boston as they only play the Yankees and Rays for the next couple of weeks. Time for the youngsters to step up; otherwise Boston could fall out of the playoff race if they get swept. Also, let’s hope Chris Sale can keep them in the game too. His last rehab start did not go too well; just ask the locker room TV!
Dotty – I agree with everything you said. Also BTW after playing the Yanks and Rays, they also have a series against the Jays. It’s 14 consecutive grueling games to go before they get a reprieve.
They don’t get that much of reprieve because after the Jays it’s Cleveland (a little breather),Houston and the Brewers. Based on records as of July 4th they had far and away the toughest remaining schedule in MLB.
I was thinking of the games against the Royals and Pirates.
Without question, the Sox have the hardest schedule because they have a ton of games remaining against Tampa/Toronto/NYY and as I mentioned earlier even the O’s are no longer an easy win.
This is what everyone was talking about, it wasn’t a coincidence that Boston’s hot streak came against mostly bad or average teams. They are now 9-19 against the AL East, that is downright pathetic. Cora’s decision to basically forfeit games against divisional rivals such as Toronto are a big reason why they have such an awful record against AL East teams.
Well they had a super easy June schedule so it’s about time they got some tough opponents
Yes and the Red Sox took care of business when they needed to. They went from 10 games under .500 to 10 games over .500 in a month.
I wonder what the plan the next few days will be. Winckowski starts tonight, and Crawford/Pivetta should be starting Friday and Saturday. Bullpen day Sunday? Bello Monday? And then send him or Crawford down to activate Sale? Or put Wacha on the IL and keep Bello and Crawford up?
Seabold is listed to start tonight and Pivetta is due to start the ESPN game on Sunday. Which leaves TBD for the Fox game on Saturday. Yes, we’ve reached the point where a Yankees-Red Sox game is a bullpen game for one side.
Sale walked 5 last night in Triple A. He’s not ready yet
They need a few days to secure everything to the wall better at least. That meltdown video is ridiculous.
White Sox knew he was trouble when he cut up Sox jerseys years ago.
Acts like a child.
BoSox can have him!
As one reporter observed, not the smartest move for a guy who just got off the IL from a broken rib. Yanking a TV off the wall during rehab probably isn’t a good choice.
Fink – In an interview yesterday he admitted his behavior was idiotic and childish, but he didn’t apologize for it at all. In fact he went to great lengths to justify it. But the more he said, the bigger hole he dug.
And AOL’s front page lead-in to the interview mistakenly has Winckowski’s picture next to the caption “Red Sox pitcher blames camera for bizarre meltdown”. Too funny.
I also read some comments of his on the MLB site in which he remarked: “Especially for a final tune-up start, I expect a lot out of myself. I expect to be who I am. And when that doesn’t work out, sometimes emotions take over the best of you and Worcester got a new TV out of it.”
So what he did actually was a good thing: they got a new TV out of his tantrum.
Not too long ago I pointed out how Sale marches to the beat of a different drum and can be controversial, to put it mildly.
Just wait and see his reaction when/if the same fans and media who have been trashing Houck for not being vaccinated also go after him for the same reason.
Sale won’t tolerate the treatment Houck received, I guarantee it.
The guy is a tool, and that’s even putting mildly.
Why hasn’t either of them gotten vaccinated?
Because neither of them are sheep
You seem to have trouble identifying who the sheep are.
Sale grew up in Florida. These are the vaccination requirements for all Florida schoolchildren:
“Public/Non-public Schools Kindergarten Through 12th Grade
(Children entering, attending, or transferring to Florida schools)
Four or five doses of DTaP
Four or five doses of IPV
Two doses of MMR
Three doses of Hep B
One Tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap)
Two doses of Varicella (kindergarten effective with 2008–2009 school year, then an additional grade is added each year thereafter). Varicella vaccine is not required if there is a history of varicella disease documented by the health care provider.”
Houck grew up in Illinois. These are the vaccination requirements for all Illinois schoolchildren:
“1) Any child entering a child care facility or school program below the kindergarten level shall show proof of having received three or more doses of Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTP or DTaP) vaccine by one year of age and one additional dose by the second birthday. The first three doses in the series shall have been received no less than four weeks (28 days) apart. The interval between the third and fourth doses shall be at least six months.
“2) Any child entering school (kindergarten or first grade) for the first time shall show proof of having received four or more doses of Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTP or DTaP) vaccine, with the last dose being a booster and having been received on or after the fourth birthday. The first three doses in the series shall have been received no less than four weeks (28 days) apart. The interval between the third and fourth doses shall be at least six months. Children age six and under may receive DTaP or DTP. Children age seven and older may receive Tetanus, Diphtheria (Td) vaccine as recommended pursuant to the ACIP catch-up series in lieu of DTP or DTaP vaccine.”
I don’t know if Houck is married or has kids, but Sale is married and has three kids in Florida, so if any of them is in school there, they’ve had all the legally required vaccines listed above. And both he and Houck had all the required vaccines listed for their respective states or they wouldn’t have been allowed to attend school.
Vaccines aren’t just for protecting the kid getting the shot; they’re for protecting all the other kids in the classroom too, not to mention their play friends in their neighborhoods. That’s why you and I didn’t have to worry about catching polio, whooping cough or smallpox when we were growing up.
So these these two geniuses got a slew of vaccines as children and both grew up to be elite athletes; and Sale has allowed his kids to receive multiple vaccinations — but suddenly they’re anti-vaxxers when it comes to a disease that’s killed over a million Americans so far.
Sheep of the four-legged variety are at least smart enough to identify a shepherd whom they know and trust to protect them. Two-legged sheep like these two, not so much.
Those vaccines passed through an entire decade’s worth of tests, we knew everything about them before taking them. The covid vaccines had no substantial testing time and they introduced new technology in the mRNA shots. In this instance because of fear those who got vaccinated were guinea pigs.
That technology was not new.
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/the-long-history-of-mrna-vaccines
Again, smart sheep know which voice is the voice of a trustworthy shepherd.
Well, they are sheep, but of a different flock, following different shepherds.
That they are.
Get a 4 or 5 via trade? Low era not required, durable innings eater is. Once staff is healthy, this vet goes to long relief mop up scenarios.? You guys have a stellar run differential; the best by far of all WC contenders. You can get away with a vet like this in the rotation for a bit. Yes?
Nats would love to move Patrick Corbin….
@Baseball Babe, yes, agreed, someone like Corbin. One oof here; pretty hefty existing contract. A deal breaker?
Feliz is mop up for a couple days and will be a DFA as soon as Sale or another spot is needed. He is being called up as he is not in the future plans and the Red Sox do not need to worry about burning an option on him.
That is all Bloom signs these days. Gotta keep that payroll down
As a Yankees fan, I feared the Sale extension and now I relish it.
As a person I empathize with Sale’s frustrations.
But also he’s an anti vaxxer? Eye roll.
Sox fan here, contract was always awful….didn’t expect him to break down as much as he had but figured he wouldn’t finish it at the level he had been pitching at.
Over 700,000 Covid vaccinate injuries ranging from cancer, reproductive, heart…
If it were any other drug or vaccine, it would have been pulled from the market with hundreds of millions in law suits.
PS. I am doctor specializing in drugs and drug research.
There was no real “testing”. Drugs that are FDA approved can take up to 10 years going through animal then human trials. NONE OF THAT HAPPENED….RIGHT TO HUMAN TRIALS. You know what you call a vaccinated person? A Guinea pig……
The vaccinated are now more likely to contract covid than both unvaccinated and those who have natural immunity!
It seems Sale, Houck, and Duran are the smart ones of the team!s.
The vaccination also alters your DNA and affects uterolining in women and sperm count in men negatively.
Yet these fools keep trying to justify their ignorant choices because they can’t admit that they have been duped.
This reply is sponsored by the mMRNA … MNRBI from Moderna …. where we continue to lie to the people along with all Big Pharma to sell more unnecessary drugs.
Wake up people!
Cooper – correct! The vaccination does not stop you from getting the virus, spreading the virus, or dying from the virus. It briefly made it a little harder to catch, and when the effectiveness subsided, it reduced your immunity and made the virus easier to catch!
The side effects have started! They range from heart, lung, reproductive to many other health problems. The vaccine was made for the health challenged, 65 year olds and older with health issues like cancer, diabetes, obesity, and heart disease NOT healthy younger adults and children! Shame on the government for forcing people to take something the FDA knew was untested and dangerous! As a doctor I am seeing many patients that NEVER should have had the health issues they are now face with!
JC#1 the division in this country is real and the chasm is massive. Nobody is switching sides no matter the logic or Reason or analysis behind the arguments. Not happening.
The activists on BOTH sides are dug in tight and entrenched in their ways. Nobody is changing their mind, it’s over. Better to spend time bringing people to JC instead of arguing over pandemic choices. Then at least you’d be working on the conscience bearing witness (Rom 1+2) rather than fruitless hours spinning your wheels.
Gary – you are correct that the other side will not listen (as they are too stubborn to listen) as they would rather cause health issues to their kids.
Ok doc, explain how the mRNA vaccine “alters your DNA”.
BS, straight-up, start to finish, “doctor.”
Pink fink – do your homework then come back and explain why you were wrong.
I’d rather let the experts explain why you’re wrong:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/facts.html
Now do your homework, “doctor.”
Signing an injured Sale to that long of a contract extension, with no safe-guards was crazy. In fact the contract has an out, to benefit Sale if he found himself healthy after this year. It was a terrible move, and one of the main reasons Dombrowsk was fired, along with gutting the farm system. Now we see him doing the same in Philly. When are MLB Owners going to learn.
Muddy – Agree, DD won three division titles and a World Series which were great, but he gutted the farm system, and in the end he was fired for the re-signing of Sale and the $240,000,000+ payroll with no end in sight. DD was successful in his three years with the Ted Sox, but he was absolutely the wrong GM to lard the team to the next Red Sox World Series! The Red Sox needed to transition to a new younger core, and that is happening. Bloom’s talent allowed them to get to an ALCS in 2021, but all the young pitchers need experience in the MLB, and that is what 2022 was going to be win or loose. If the bullpen had been better early, and if the power hitters had performed as in the past the Red Sox might have made a playoff run, but that is yet to be determined.
Now for a Sports comment…. How is Yoan Moncada doing? Thank goodness they kept Devers and traded Moncada in that deal.
Oh no, he’s not vaxxed either? Just kidding.— Seriously, 12.9 WAR since getting to WSox, while not great, not that bad. Also, he’s cost next to nothing, until this season.
38 games played
.184 average 3 HR’s 17 RBI
WAR -0.1
He’s injured, so what. He was healthy the other 5 years playing in Chicago. But, lets not look at those.
Giving Chris Sale that massive contract was a huge mistake. I think the entire planet realizes that. Can’t defend it know how no way. But it’s done. Maybe 2 years left on it? To be honest I’d switch gears with him and make him the closer. Forget 100 pitch counts, keep him to 20 !!
Chicken: I don’t agree with trashing Dombrowski. He helped the Red Sox win a World Series. Owners know he will gut a farm system, but most likely win. Owners that want to win now hire him.
Sale was signed the season AFTER the World Series. No excuse for that. He was injured for the second half of that season (2019). Why sign him long term, when he still had another season of control? Terrible move.
As far as WS win, thats weak considering all the players shipped out, and Salary Cap was destroyed. They won a WS, but who’s to say they couldnt have built a long-term winner. Red Sox already had 3 WS victories in the 15 years or so before then. So, they weren’t desperately seeking another one. I dont think they expected him to do what he did. to that extent. And, looking at what he left behind and being fired mid-season tells us, they weren’t happy with him.
Chicken: You think winning a World Series is weak, eh? Or winning just one is weak? Do you think winning a World Series is easy?? Were you in the room when John Henry and Dave Dombrowski discussed how they would approach winning? Dave Dombrowski deserves credit for being the GM of of a World Series champion. Yes, he eventually signed Sale to a bad deal. I guess you just can’t say one positive thing about Dave Dombrowski.
You judge a GM by how he did in one month. I’d prefer to look at his whole tenure. He didn’t do that good of a job.
‘winning a WS is weak’ — What does that even mean? Your argument that winning a WS justifies breaking the bank and gutting the farm system, is a weak argument.
Do you really follow the Red Sox? Dombrowski was there for more than a month. If you were really a Red Sox fan you might give Dombrowski credit for something….like signing JD Martinez before 2018 or trading for 2018 World Series MVP Steve Pearce which helped to, you know, win a World Series, to name a couple of things.
“winning a WS is weak’ — What does that even mean?” You said, “As far as WS win, thats weak…”
“Your argument that winning a WS justifies breaking the bank and gutting the farm system, is a weak argument” It’s not an argument I am making. It an approach some organizations take to greater or lesser extent when they think they have a window of opportunity to win. Organizations that have never won a AS would be happy to do this.
Organizations that have never won a WS would be happy to do this. Rich teams like the Red Sox can do it too and rebuild later. Not a big deal.
Hope the Red Sox remove all the TV’s from the tunnel and clubhouse!
Probably a good move. But at least the Red Sox are wising up. I think they’ve been keeping next week’s jerseys out of the locker room also.
I don’t remember any BS comments about Papi when he took a bat to the bullpen phone. I get frustrated too, but luckily I received meditation training as part of my martial arts course back in the 1960’s. Otherwise I most likely would have smashed a few TV’s myself.
At the time, there was a lot of talk about how he almost took Petey’s head out along with the phone.
Wacha to IL. They need Evo , Sale & Whitlock to give them quality innings and something from Siebold, Kutter C & Bello.
The Triple AAA pitchers need a lot more seasoning in Triple AAA and should never have been put up against good teams like the Yankees. Should have called up Sale before that Triple AAA start and used him.
You cannot put Triple AAA pitchers against good teams. This reminds me of 1978 with Bobby Sprowl and Wright rookies pitching against the Yankees and getting clobbered. Going into to the off season, this team needed starting pitching, a closer, and a first baseman. They picked up Wacha who is a 4th starter at best, Hill who is 43 years old, let Schwarber go, did not sign a first baseman and did not pick up a closer. Dalbac should not be allowed anywhere near a baseball diamond, he cannot hit period. You need more production out of first base than a .227 batting average and 5 homeruns period !!!! Schwarber’s 27 homeruns would look great now. This is all on Bloom and all this team did in June was beat up bad teams. They are not a good team period, all on Bloom.