The Boston Red Sox are keeping their heads above water.
It hasn't always been pretty, and the stacked American League East has them positioned worse than they would be in any other division in Major League Baseball. But the Red Sox just survived a 19-game stretch without an off-day -- bookended by two multicity road trips -- by going 10-9. Boston enters the final weekend of April sitting at exactly .500 (13-13), a relatively reasonable lot in life, especially considering the mounting injuries.
"They don't get caught up in the ups and downs of this thing," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, per The Boston Globe. "We lost four to Tampa and we move on. We lost three to Pittsburgh and we move on. It's still early to really tell you who we are, but like I always say, we've got a good baseball team. We just have to be better."
Whether the Red Sox are "good" remains up for debate. But they certainly don't stink. And the fight they've shown through 26 games is admirable, even if it's resulted in them falling eight games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
There are concerns, like Boston's rotation, which owns the second-worst ERA (6.41) in MLB. At some point, the Red Sox will need to find stability on the mound, a challenge made more difficult by Garrett Whitlock landing on the 15-day injured list Friday with right elbow ulnar neuritis. While the offense has been excellent, despite copious moving parts, it's probably performing above its head with Trevor Story, Adalberto Mondesi, Adam Duvall and now Yu Chang sidelined. It's actually quite impressive the Red Sox so far have lived to tell the tale.
Now, one's long-term outlook on the Red Sox's 2023 playoff hopes depends on whether you view the glass as half empty or half full. Perhaps the pitching improves, guys get healthy and Boston finally starts on an upward trajectory. There, of course, is the threat of an alternate universe where none of those developments comes to fruition, though, in which case it'd be time to begin planning for 2024.
Basically, we're stuck in wait-and-see mode, as we've been since Opening Day. Roughly one month is in the books, and Boston's true identity has yet to reveal itself. Perhaps we'll receive a sneak peek this weekend when old friend Terry Francona and the Cleveland Guardians come to town for three games at Fenway Park. Or maybe we'll just keep scratching as our chins as the Red Sox swim their butts off upstream.
Red Sox odds (4/28)*
To win World Series: +10000
To win American League: +4000
To win AL East: +5000
To make playoffs: +390
There's been rather sizable movement in the Red Sox's odds to win the World Series, going from +7500 at FanDuel Sportsbook last Friday to its current +10000 mark. Same goes for Boston's odds to win the AL East, which shifted from +3500 to +5000.
This means a $100 bet on the Red Sox to take home the Commissioner's Trophy would net you a $10,000 profit. That same wager on Boston to rule its division could put $5,000 in your pocket. Feeling lucky?
*Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Probable pitchers
-- Friday, April 28 (7:10 p.m. ET vs. Guardians): Nick Pivetta, RHP (1-1, 4.58 ERA) vs. Shane Bieber, RHP (1-1, 3.23 ERA)
-- Saturday, April 29 (4:10 p.m. ET vs. Guardians): Brayan Bello, RHP (0-1, 9.82 ERA) vs. Zach Plesac, RHP (1-1, 6.50 ERA)
-- Sunday, April 30 (1:35 p.m. ET vs. Guardians): Chris Sale, LHP (1-2, 8.22 ERA) vs. Logan Allen, LHP (1-0, 1.50 ERA)
Storylines to watch
1. Will Enmanuel Valdez prove himself?
It's been a revolving door up the middle for Boston this season, with Yu Chang's injury -- a fractured left hamate bone for which he underwent surgery Thursday -- serving as the latest blow. The Red Sox recalled Valdez from Triple-A Worcester upon placing Chang on the IL, and the 24-year-old presumably will have ample opportunity to start at second base (primarily against right-handers) alongside Kiké Hernández. It's now on Valdez, one of the prospects the Red Sox acquired from the Houston Astros in last year's Christian Vázquez trade, to step up.
2. Is it time to buy stock in Masataka Yoshida?
Yoshida has completely flipped the script on his first MLB season, blossoming into an impact player over the past 10 days after some early struggles. Since a hitless effort on April 18, Yoshida is slashing .464/.484/.821 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in seven games (31 plate appearances). Cora bumped him up to second in the lineup for Friday night's series opener against Cleveland. We'll see if he sticks. Yoshida was the favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award, with +350 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook as of Friday evening.
3. Which version of Chris Sale will show up?
Sale has run mostly cold through five starts, including a five-run, nine-hit implosion his last time out. But he also mixed in an 11-strikeout performance against the Minnesota Twins on April 18. So, he remains a real wild card who ultimately could dictate the success (or lack thereof) of Boston's rotation. Every trip to the bump is worth monitoring right now.
