Alex Cora Sets Expectations For Red Sox With Kyle Schwarber, Chris Sale Return

The Boston Red Sox are getting some much-needed reinforcements, but Alex Cora knows that doesn’t automatically mean the struggles will be fixed.

Kyle Schwarber was activated from the injured list ahead of Friday’s opener against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. To make room for the outfielder, the Red Sox designated Marwin Gonzalez for assignment after he struggled offensively.

Chris Sale also will make his debut for the Red Sox on Saturday, which will provide a boost to a rotation that has struggled at times.

But Cora doesn’t believe the additions equate to instant success.

“We’ve been talking about this for a while now, it’s right here right in front of us. But at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter,” Cora told reporters over Zoom. “We have to perform. There’s a lot of guys in that clubhouse that have struggled the last few weeks, either offensively or defensively, pitching wise. And … we have to play clean baseball, we have to be better. We’ve been saying that since Day 1. … Nothing changes, we just got a good hitter, we’re gonna get a great pitcher, and we’re gonna keep adding throughout the week, most likely, but at the end it’s what you do on the field. We do believe we can do it on the field, but we can talk all we want, we can say all the right things, we can be polite about it and say, ‘yeah we feel great about it.’ But until you go out there and do it for nine innings and win ballgames, it’s just talk.”

The Red Sox desperately need to get back on track, and can start a new winning streak against the O’s at 7:10 p.m. ET.