The Boston Red Sox sent more than just a rag-tag bunch across Florida.
Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Xander Bogaerts and Rusney Castillo were among those who made the 2 1/2-hour bus ride from Fort Myers to Jupiter on Tuesday. The Red Sox’s troubles were rewarded with a 9-4 loss to the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium.
Some interesting developments continue to emerge less than two weeks away from Opening Day. Let’s run down some notes from Tuesday.
— The pecking order among the Red Sox’s second tier of starting pitchers continues to take shape.
Brian Johnson, who drew the start Tuesday, again impressed over 3 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old left-hander allowed one run on one hit and three walks while striking out five.
“Honestly, I just try to go out there and make my presence felt,” Johnson told reporters in Jupiter. “Just go out there and do the best I can, and at that given point in time, hopefully it works out. I try to work as hard as I can on my five days and what leads up with that.”
Johnson, who likely will begin the season at Triple-A Pawtucket, lowered his Grapefruit League ERA to 2.38 with the outing. He’s quickly positioning himself for an early season call-up if/when the Red Sox need a starting pitcher.
Right now, knuckleballer Steven Wright seems like a logical choice for Boston’s No. 6 starter role, but Johnson appears to have an edge over fellow lefty prospect Henry Owens, who struggled Tuesday for the second straight appearance.
— Owens, who inherited a 4-1 lead in the seventh inning, was roughed up.
The 22-year-old southpaw was charged with six runs (four earned) on four hits and one walk over 1 1/3 innings. Six of the seven hitters he faced in the eighth inning reached, and all ended up scoring.
“Well, he didn’t command the count, particularly in the second inning of work,” Red Sox manager John Farrell told reporters after the game. “I thought they laid off some changes that otherwise he might have been accustomed to getting swings at some lower levels. He’s not accustomed to coming into the bullpen late in the game.”
Owens now is 0-3 with an 8.74 ERA in Grapefruit League action.
“I think the experience against big league hitters has been invaluable for him, and just an indication that there’s still some work to be done here,” Farrell said.
— Don’t look now, but Jackie Bradley Jr. is hitting, folks.
Bradley went 3-for-4 with three singles and a run scored.
Bradley has flown under the radar this spring because of the Red Sox’s other outfield developments, but the 24-year-old has made major offensive strides in camp. He’s hitting .382 (13-for-34) with a .462 on-base percentage.
— Allen Craig is starting to hit the ball with more authority.
Craig, who is batting .278, drove a three-run double into the right-center field gap in Tuesday’s loss. It was vintage Craig, so to speak.
“It feels good to hit the ball to right-center,” Craig told reporters. “I’ve typically been pretty good at hitting the ball there in my career, and I put a good swing on it.”
Craig has been the subject of trade rumors since the end of last season, but the Red Sox have expressed faith in his ability to bounce back in 2015. He’s definitely trending in the right direction.
— Koji Uehara (hamstring) hasn’t been ruled out for Opening Day, but Farrell said Tuesday there’s a “growing concern” about the closer’s availability to begin the season.
Thumbnail photo via John Bazemore/USA TODAY Sports Images
