The Red Sox on Tuesday sent outfielder Jarren Duran back to Triple-A Worcester, but manager Alex Cora has high hopes for the rookie down the line.
Cora seemed convinced that a return to the minors was just part of the process, and as evidence, he pointed to the career of another former Boston star.
"(Duran is) not the first promising rookie to get sent down," Cora told reporters during his media availability before Tuesday's game against the Minnesota Twins. "He's not the first promising rookie to get sent down in this organization, he's not the first outfielder who's very fast that got sent down in the middle of the season. We'll be patient."
The Red Sox manager was referring to Jacoby Ellsbury, who appeared in 33 games for the Red Sox in 2007 before he finished third in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2008. A first-round pick by the team in 2005, Ellsbury appeared in six games for the Red Sox in July 2007, one game in August, then factored in heavily to the team's September push toward the postseason and a World Series title.
"(Ellsbury) made an impact late in the season and I think it's something that players sometimes have to go through ... There's growing pains. It's not easy just to come here and produce."
Let's just hope that Duran doesn't entirely follow the path of Ellsbury, who agreed to a seven-year deal with the New York Yankees in 2013.
