Josh Taylor (low back strain) will likely begin his rehab Sunday afternoon for the WooSox. Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora says the left-hander — who’s been out since the start of spring training — should see five to six rehab outings for Triple-A Worcester.
“He threw a live BP yesterday and obviously we have to wait for today to see how he feels but there’s a good chance his rehab assignment starts tomorrow,” Cora said Saturday before the team’s 4-0 win over the Minnesota Twins.
James Paxton, signed by Boston this offseason, has made significant progression following his Tommy John surgery and his ahead of schedule. The lefty hurler tossed a bullpen session Friday, Cora said, and he added that the southpaw will continue to hurl in the range of 20-pitch bullpens in the meantime.
Chris Sale is also making progress on his stress fracture suffered in his rib cage, throwing for the fifth time Friday at Fenway Park. The southpaw, who’s on the 60-day injured list, isn’t eligible to pitch until June 6. Cora said the left-hander is in a “good spot,” while Sale mirrored that remark.
“We’re in a good spot, obviously,” Sale said. “The worst part of it is time. The build back up is going to take a little bit of time just because I’ve got to get some innings and get my arm stretched out. We’re on the right path.”
Paxton and Sale both will be with the team for the rest of the homestand before going down to Florida with the team when they play the Rays in Tampa Bay, before driving to Fort Myers.
Nick Pivetta sees slow velocity
Nick Pivetta averaged just 92.5 miles per hour on his fastball in Thursday’s loss to the Twins where he lasted just two innings, even dipping as low as 90.4 compared to his usual mid-90s fastball that he not only hit in all of 2021, but hit in his first start of the season.
“His mechanics are off, his timing is off,” Cora said. “So he’s not able to get his extension and that’s what makes him a really good pitcher with a good fastball. It’s been off for a little bit. I thought the one in New York he had better stuff than here.”
For Pivetta, he calls the outing, where he yielded four runs across just a pair of innings, disappointing.
“For me right now, that’s what it kind of feels like, Pivetta said. “I wasn’t just really in my legs. Didn’t have that consistency with the velocity. Just didn’t feel great. It was disappointing. But just gotta keep moving from here.”
Yellow Sox are back
For Marathon Monday, the yellow and blue City Connect uniforms are back. The marathon will be on time this season too after last year it was in October the day of Boston’s Game 4 ALDS win over the Rays.
Boston will wear the City Connect unis again Sunday afternoon before repping the white Boston jerseys (not the regular home whites) on Marathon Monday morning.
“It’s great for the city,” Cora said before Saturday’s win. “Just the whole atmosphere. The whole weekend itself is amazing. It just happens we had the home opener and now Monday, which makes it a lot more special. We’ve got the yellow uniforms today and tomorrow and then the Boston uniform on Monday. I know how much it means.”
Trevor Story ‘most likely’ out Sunday
Trevor Story is out Sunday unless a miraculous performance Saturday, Cora said, which didn’t happen — meaning it’s not an uneducated assumption that he’s out tomorrow afternoon.
“I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” Cora said before Saturday’s game. “He might hit three homers today and then he’ll play tomorrow. But most likely he’ll get tomorrow off and then play again Monday.”
Boston beat the Twins 4-0 Saturday to move to .500 on the season in yellow.
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