Boston’s Adam Duvall had four home runs and 14 RBI in just eight games before suffering a wrist injury. He is expected to begin a rehab assignment this week with Triple-A Worcester. Carlos Osorio/Associated Press
In Major League Baseball, it takes a third of the season to figure out what a team is, a third of the season for executives to address the team’s needs and a third of the season to achieve whatever that team can achieve.
Tuesday night at Fenway will mark the 54th game of the Red Sox season, the one-third mark of a campaign that has featured wild pendulum swings. After a 5-8 start the Sox have gone 23-17. The Sox have had an eight-game winning streak and three four-game losing streaks. They have swept teams in two series and been swept four times.
They have also seen a changeover in the pitching staff. Corey Kluber and Nick Pivetta are now relievers. Before they were moved to the bullpen, they had pitched in relief just once in 127 combined appearances since the start of 2021. They weren’t moved to the bullpen because the team believes they’ll be better in relief. They are there because other, younger pitchers have made their case to be starters.
Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock have all joined the rotation with veterans Chris Sale and James Paxton. That will be the five-man staff for the foreseeable future – although there is a scheduled doubleheader on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays that will require a sixth starter.
Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom said the pitchers aren’t being sent to Siberia. They’re being asked to take on new roles to help the team.
“A lot of guys want to start,” said Bloom. “Most guys want to start. But when they go out there it’s not like they’re going out there in some obscure role. These starters who are out in the bullpen are helping us win games … they’re still meaningful roles.”
Whatever the makeup of the staff is, it has been trending in the right direction. Over the past seven days Sox pitchers have posted a 3.60 ERA — the best in the American League East over that period.
The improved pitching comes at a time when the bats have gone through their coldest stretch of the season. In that same stretch Sox hitters have posted just a .592 OPS — the fourth worst in all of baseball.
Like the pitching staff, the lineup could improve in the weeks ahead as players get healthy.
Christian Arroyo had two hits in an injury rehab game with Triple-A Worcester on Sunday and is 4 for 9 over three games. He’ll provide some right-handed help to balance the lineup.
More importantly, Adam Duvall will begin his rehab this week in his native Louisville when he plays for the WooSox. The hope is he could return as soon as June 9-11 in New York when the Sox play their first series of the year against the Yankees.
Duvall was one of Boston’s best hitters when he suffered a wrist injury in Detroit. It was a small sample — just eight games — but Duval was hitting .455 with A 1.030 OPS to go along with four home runs and 14 RBI in 37 plate appearances.
In Duvall’s absence the Sox have gotten good production from Jarren Duran, who is hitting .297 (.816 OPS) this season. Like many of his teammates, Duran has gone cold of late, hitting just .074 (.148 OPS) over his last seven games.
Duvall’s return will lead to more difficult decisions for the Sox. Does Duran return to Triple-A just as he is showing he might be ready to grow into the major leaguer Boston hoped he could be? Does Duvall, who hadn’t played much center field prior to this season, return to a corner outfield spot? If so, what do you do with Alex Verdugo and Masataka Yoshida?
Similar questions are looming on the infield. Enmanuel Valdez has been a surprise at the plate, as has Pablo Reyes. Arroyo’s return, along with Trevor Story’s later this summer if his elbow rehab goes well, means someone has to go.
The return of Story, who signed a six-year, $140 million contract prior to last season, would mean Kiké Hernández would have to move elsewhere. Prior to the emergence of Duvall and Duran it would’ve been simple to move Hernández back to center field, where he performed so well last season.
Now the situation isn’t quite as clear. A third of the way into the season the Red Sox are better than many expected. Teams that get off to good starts usually add talent as summer progresses.
For the Sox, some of that talent may be coming from within the organization.
Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. He is a graduate of Lewiston High School.
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