Red Sox’s Alex Verdugo Addresses Benching In Series Vs. Guardians

Red Sox right fielder Alex Verdugo found himself sitting on the bench in last week’s series finale against the Cleveland Guardians after failing to hustle to second base in Boston’s loss the night before.

Prior to the Red Sox’s middle game against the Colorado Rockies, Verdugo addressed the benching with MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

“I understood the decision but it didn’t sit well with me,” Verdugo said, per Cotillo. “I feel like I’ve been busting my (expletive) this whole year. Every once and while, I’ll admit, there will be a lack of hustle or something. I see it. Right after the play’s done, I’ll be mad at myself, too. But it is what it is. It’s inexcusable. That’s one thing we can control is our effort. I’ve just got to be better.”

Red Sox manager Alex Cora pulled Verdugo from the game following the play in question.

“I didn’t like it. So, I took him out of the game yesterday,” Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN’s pregame coverage, He’s not starting today.”

“It was loud and clear.”

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Alex Verdugo on Red Sox manager’s Alex Cora decision to bench him.

Cora added he didn’t want to use Verdugo as an example, which the 27-year-old acknowledged and understood.

“There’s no hardship, there’s no bad feelings, there’s no will, nothing like that,” Verdugo said. “I think it needed to happen. He was tired of it, he wanted to put me on the spot and let me know. It was loud and clear. We’re good.

“I don’t know if you want to say it was pointed at me, singling me out. At the end of the day, he expects better from me and I expect better for myself. I feel like he holds me to a high standard. You can take that however you want. I try to see the positive sides of it.”

Verdugo served his penalty and is ready to move on from the incident.

“It was just a little bit of a lack of hustle, man. The outcome is the outcome. You saw it. You guys have seen it,” Verdugo said. “There’s nothing really to talk about. What was said was said. Now we step forward and we just better. All I can control now is how hard I run and how I go about it.”