So this is the Boston Red Sox starting rotation everyone’s so concerned about?
OK, I’m joking, obviously. But in all seriousness, the Red Sox have received some quality outings from their starters in recent days, with Wade Miley joining the fray Monday in a 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium.
It’s way too early to suggest the Red Sox’s rotation will be A-OK once the games start counting, as it’s still early in camp, spring stats general don’t matter and Grapefruit League competition isn’t exactly the equivalent of the Fall Classic. It’s quite all right to be encouraged, though. Boston’s starters seemingly are shaking off the rust with very little resistance.
The Red Sox will return to JetBlue Park in Fort Myers on Tuesday for an afternoon game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Let’s first go over some spring training developments from Monday.
— Miley bent but didn’t break.
The left-hander allowed three hits and two walks over three scoreless innings. He struck out two in what ultimately amounted to a positive second start.
“I felt good,” Miley told reporters in Jupiter, Fla. “Still not quite where I want to be, but a stepping stone in the right direction. I need to tighten up the command a little bit. But I walked away healthy, so that’s always good.”
— Catcher Christian Vazquez continues to impress nearly everyone he comes in contact with.
“Vazquey, I can’t say enough good things about him,” Miley told reporters. “He cares a lot about the staff. He’s been communicating with me since the day I got traded. He was one of the first guys I heard from. We’ve been in contact, and it’s been the same way when I got here. He wants to pick my brain and I want to pick his. The sooner you get on the same page, the better off you are.”
— Mookie Betts again batted leadoff and produced an RBI single.
— Deven Marrero and Henry Ramos — two interesting prospects whose ceilings are difficult to pinpoint — both collected two hits.
— Matt Barnes is making quite an impression.
Barnes, who caught manager John Farrell’s attention with his spring debut last Thursday, again turned heads with two shutout innings to earn the save. The right-hander allowed only one hit, didn’t walk anyone and notched three strikeouts.
“How can you not like the stuff?” Farrell said after the game. “It’s premium stuff that he’s shown in two outings. He got his first taste of pitching out of the bullpen last September, and that’s not to say we’re looking to change his role and how we view him. We’ll take it as it comes right now.”
Barnes still is being stretched out as a starter, but one can’t help but wonder whether the Red Sox eventually will consider a relief role, especially given that they have no one like him in their bullpen.
— Rusney Castillo (oblique) is “coming along pretty good,” according to Farrell.
— Shane Victorino (general soreness) is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday.
— Quintin Berry is battling back spasms. The ailment first cropped up in the weight room Saturday morning.
Thumbnail photo via John Rieger/USA TODAY Sports Images
