The Red Sox announced a series of roster moves before this evening’s game against the White Sox. As expected, shortstop Xander Bogaerts has been reinstated from the COVID-19 injured list. Hard-throwing reliever Darwinzon Hernández has been activated from the 10-day IL, while the club selected fellow bullpen arm Kaleb Ort. In corresponding moves, starter Chris Sale was placed on the COVID-19 IL after testing positive for the virus and reliever Austin Davis was placed on the paternity list. Additionally, infielder Jonathan Araúz has been placed on the COVID IL. He’s experiencing virus-like symptoms but has continued to test negative, relays Chris Cotillo of MassLive (Twitter link).
Ort is up to make his major league debut. The right-hander went undrafted out of Aquinas College in 2016. He signed with the Diamondbacks but was released not long after and then latched on with the Yankees. Ort spent the past few seasons in the New York system, but the Red Sox added him in the minor league phase of last offseason’s Rule 5 draft.
Assigned to Worcester, Ort has pitched well at the minors’ top level to earn the call. The 29-year-old has worked 43 1/3 innings of 3.12 ERA ball with the WooSox, striking out a very strong 30.4% of batters faced. Ort has had issues with his control throughout his pro career, but his 10.3% walk rate this season is only marginally above the league average for relievers.
Hernández is back after missing a little more than five weeks with a right oblique strain. The southpaw has a 3.44 ERA in 34 frames of relief despite an elevated 16.9% walk percentage. That’s largely thanks to his quality 29.9% strikeout rate, a continuation of Hernández’s lofty punch out and walk totals throughout his big league career.
DarkSide830
lotta indy ballers making the Majors this year. it’s gotta be closer to a dozen now.
Fever Pitch Guy
None of these moves matter with Cora destroying the team’s chances.
Let’s recap tonight’s loss.
Even though yesterday was a day off, and there will be several more days off the remainder of the month, Cora has this fixation with forcing his best players to sit for either the game before or the game after a scheduled day off for the team.
So Cora, in his brilliance, decides to sit Dugie.
Which means Iglesias, who should NOT be starting any games with both Xander and the player whose name I’m not allowed to type here healthy and available, started at 2B.
End result?
1) Another error that led to another unearned run
2) A pathetic AB with a runner on 3B and just one out as the Sox announcers were literally mocking Jose for “refusing to walk” by swinging at no less than three pitches that were clearly out of the strike zone.
Iglesias was replaced shortly after the AB and the error, but as usual it was too late. The damage was already done.
Would the Bosox have won if the regular 2B had started at 2B and Dugie had started at CF? Can’t say for certain, but one thing that is certain: Cora’s asinine habit of benching players in important games just to give them two days off in a row is making it a lot harder for the Boston team to win.
KD – Thoughts?
KD17
Cora being Cora. He’s been bad since April 2018!!!
Angry Disgruntled Sox Fan
I have to disagree. Yes, we are in a tough position but wouldn’t be where we are without Cora. We were spotter to be a .500 team in fourth place since day 1. Look at the Yankees. They’re struggling and I don’t see Yankee fans complaining as much as Sox fans are.
Cora isn’t perfect but just his demeanor and charisma toward players helps. He builds team chemistry and gets guys to perform.
Salvi
Hate, Hate, Hate. Anything constructive to say guys. You know they are overachieving and making the playoffs, as of today.
Salvi
They were a longshot to make playoffs.. Other than knitpicking specific moments, he’s done fine. You guys say during EVERY post that Bloom’s terrible, Cora terrible. Then how are they pulling this off???
Draft Kings
2021 World Series odds, Feb 8
Team Odds
LA Dodgers +350
NY Yankees +550
SD Padres +800
CHI White Sox +850
ATL Braves +1000
NY Mets +1000
OAK Athletics +1800
MIN Twins +2000
STL Cardinals +2000
TB Rays +2000
CIN Reds +2500
HOU Astros +2500
TOR Blue Jays +2500
WAS Nationals +2800
PHI Phillies +3000
CHI Cubs +3300
CLE Indians +3500
LA Angels +4000
MIL Brewers +4500
BOS Red Sox +5000
Fever Pitch Guy
Shame on me for not including something really important:
Iglesias had started ONLY ONE OTHER GAME at 2B in his entire career! And that was 8 years ago!!!
What kind of moron manager gives a guy just his 2nd career start at 2B in a critically important game when you’ve got a highly competent 2B available?
Fire Cora!!!
Fever Pitch Guy
Denny take a look at the Vegas odds for the Red Sox prior to the 2013 season, then get back to me.
Gambling sources do NOT take into consideration everything they should.
Draft Kings no doubt looked at last year’s debacle, knew that ERod’s and Sale’s status were highly questionable, assumed JD would repeat his career worst year despite the in-game video rule being lifted, didn’t realize Devers played with an injury nearly all last season, etc etc.
Are you really gonna put a lot of weight in Draft Kings when they picked the Yankees to make it to the World Series?
Oh and hey Draft Kings nice call on the Brewers and the Giants, who didn’t even make the Top Twenty! BWAHAHAHAH!
yankista
Time to cry… c’mon, theRedsoup are a mediocre team. Tks to Cora they are only 9 games behind the leader
LordD99
Kaleb Ort. Pretty sure he was a character in Superman.
Fever Pitch Guy
He was a character played by Robin Williams.
Mort from Ort.
Na-nu, Na-nu.
jakethesnizake
Orrrrrrrrrt
Ham Fighter
Who the hell is Caleb Ort
Joseph McBrody
WHAT the hell is a Kaleb Ort?
stevewpants
I think it is that hazy body of rocky and icy stuff where comets come from that surrounds the solar system way beyond the orbits of the planets.
lvd2340
another player picked from the Yankees in the Rule 5 like Whitlock.
User 4245925809
Ort was practically unhittable earlier in the AAA season until like mid-late June before he slipped some, still has looked pretty good to me. Sits mid-upper 90’s with a decent slider, issue is he’s already like 29-30 if anything. My 2c is he and Feltman only 2 prospect relievers they have at AAA. Rest just taking up space.
Joseph McBrody
What are his sabermetrics though?
madmc44
I had followed Feltman from the time he was drafted and I had high expectations for him but it appears. he may have fallen from the good graces of management.
Seabold , I think , will be starting the game today in Chicago.
Franchy will be moved this offseason.
colonel flagg
Someone should bring back Nate Orf. Ort facing Orf is an announcer’s dream.
AHH-Rox
Or Mike Olt, but he appears to be retired.
R.D.
Pete Orr could come by too
AHH-Rox
Hire Ed Ott as a coach.
whyhayzee
I wish they would bring up Gort.
bobtillman
Baratta Nicto to you too…..
Patricia Neal, Michael Rennie, Hugh Marlowe…..yes, I am 100….
(But believe it or not it was the “ET” of its time…..with a message as important today as it was then)…
bobtillman
OOOOPS, forgot the first word (name): Klatu Baratta Nicto….
(What IS that old geezer TALKING about?????)
KD17
Bob – A childhood favorite!!
Fever Pitch Guy
You guys make me feel young, which is no easy task!
bobtillman
They didn’t teach History when I was in school because nothing had happened yet.
Fever Pitch Guy
Good one Bob, I’m gonna use that!
stevewpants
Fun fact, there’s a scene in the movie Independence Day which shows a character trying to watch The Day the Earth Stood Still on an old TV getting fuzzy reception right before the aliens start rolling in.
alwaysgo4two
Interesting…..so testing negative still gets you out if you have a simple sore throat or the sniffles? I swear that they’re making it up as they go along.
Dorothy_Mantooth
I still don’t understand why they don’t bring Connor Seabold up. He is the closest, healthy pitcher in their minors to becoming a major league starter. Maybe I’m missing something but he has pitched quite well since he came off the IL and after he shook the rust off in his first 2-3 minor league starts this season. I seriously don’t get it.
Wait! I just read he was put on their taxi squad and could start tomorrow…yes!!!!
ottoc 2
” He is the closest, healthy pitcher in their minors to becoming a major league starter.”
Gee, Franchy Cordero has a .946 OPS with Worcester. Why isn’t he playing for the Red Sox? Wouldn’t have anything to do with his having a .497 OPS with the club when they have brought him up?
Monkey’s Uncle
We Ort to have seen this coming.
KD17
Monkey – It was a fifty chance – so either ort!!
KD17
make that fifty fifty!!
KD17
Sorry couldn’t help myself I’m from Punsylvania!!
n888
My son is also named Ort
Joseph McBrody
Ort888? That’s a cool name.
thelegendofmike
Is this a selfie pic? Wtf
Bi Soxual
I want to see Cease knuckle curve dancing early & often Sat.Same arm slot as his 97/98 heater.When he throws that knuckle curve early in count for strikes,dude is absolutely a joy to watch.
Gwynning's Anal Lover
I was sitting on the couch last night and made an Ort-like sound followed by a long Oooooooooorrrt.
miltpappas
Kaleb Ort
Robe Talk
Brake Lot
stevewpants
Bleak Rot
stevewpants
Lob Taker
stevewpants
Rake Bolt