Alex Verdugo meant what he said about Alek Manoah last month, but the Red Sox outfielder wishes he went about expressing the opinion in a different way.
Earlier in the 2023 Major League Baseball season, Verdugo appeared on Audacy's "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast and accused Manoah of approaching on-field celebrations "the wrong way." The Boston table-setter's criticism was partly based on an incident last season when the Blue Jays ace shouted at a pair of Red Sox players after striking them out.
Manoah will take the mound for Toronto on Wednesday when it visits Boston for the third contest of the rivals' four-game set. Roughly 24 hours before the matchup, Verdugo offered a bit of remorse about his Manoah call-out.
"I regret saying what I did, at least to the media, because it's something I think I should have just, man-to-man, said it to him," Verdugo told reporters, per MassLive. "I feel like at some point now, I would like to have a conversation with him. I'd like to talk to him. Just me and him. Kind of clear out some air, just be professional about it.
"Obviously, he's one of those guys who's a good pitcher and he carries a chip on his shoulder. We're just going to see what happens. For me, it's not going to be to go up there and try to get emotional with it."
Manoah about a month ago claimed he didn't "give a (expletive)" about Verdugo's blunt remark. As the fiery right-hander works through the Red Sox batting order Wednesday, we'll see if he was honest about those feelings.
