Garrett Richards, like many Major League Baseball pitchers, was forced to make some adjustments after the league cracked down on the use of foreign substance.
The Boston Red Sox right-hander revealed he essentially stopped using his curveball during his last outing against the Atlanta Braves before going off about the new rules. Richards revealed he may have to develop another pitch, and it sounds like he did just that.
"He's actually working on other pitches, too," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said over Zoom prior to Boston's middle game against the Tampa Bay Rays. "It's part of what guys are doing. Right now, he's throwing changeups. Guys are going to do that. He still has the two-seamer, something we haven't used this season. I think him going east-west and then being able to use his slider, but the curveball is part of what we liked. I think, today, he should be fine."
Pitchers have begun to be checked around the league. Jacob deGrom of the New York Mets was the first one, while Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals and Oakland Athletics pitcher Sergio Romo were not exactly pleased with getting checked.
Cora, though, is happy with the adjustments Richards has made.
"We're very pleased with the work he put between starts," Cora said. "He feels comfortable with where he's at. He understands that whatever adjustments he has to make, he has to make. This is where we're at and this is where we're going and it's here to stay."
We'll see if the adjustments prove successful when the Red Sox and Rays get started at 7:10 p.m. ET on NESN.
