Alex Cora Provides Health Update On Trio Of Red Sox Pitchers

The Boston Red Sox are reaching the end of their 2023 season, but that doesn’t mean there still isn’t work to be done until Game 162.

With just 15 games left to play, the Red Sox still have various names on the injured list — mostly pitchers — and they still going through the rehab process. And while that doesn’t mean a return to the big league level this season is in the cards for each of them, that’s not the goal for now.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora, when addressing the health status of pitchers Corey Kluber, Zack Kelly and Kaleb Ort, noted there’s one priority in place for each of them before the end of the season: Health.

“We have Corey for tomorrow lined up. Probably three innings in Worcester if I’m not mistaken,” Cora told reporters before Friday night’s series opener with the Blue Jays in Toronto. “Zack is going this weekend, too. Kaleb threw the live (batting practice) so he’ll go on a rehab assignment soon. All these guys, we don’t know how we’re gonna do roster-wise but we want them to finish the season healthy. That’s the most important thing. We’ll see what we do in the offseason with some of them. … But that’s the goal, to get them healthy and move forward.”

Each of the three right-handers landed on the 60-day injured list (on separate occasions), which continued a season-long trend for the Red Sox. Kluber, who was expected to be part of the rotation, made just 15 starts while recording a 7.04 ERA. Kelly, who showed promising signs out of the bullpen early, went down with an injury in April after allowing one run through his first five appearances. And Ort struggled all around, notching a 6.26 ERA in 21 games.

Cora also insinuated that pitching in Winter League during the offseason could be entertained in order to get more innings in the books before the start of the 2024 season.