Alex Bregman's return to Red Sox lineup leads to infield shift, and Marcelo Mayer stays to play ‘a lot' of second base
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
Bregman, who batted second and played third
Advertisement
Notably not an option:
David Hamilton
, who was demoted to Triple A Worcester to clear a roster spot for Bregman.
Related
:
Hamilton was batting .179 with a .505 OPS. Last year, those numbers were .248 and .697.
Advertisement
The difference, Cora said, was playing less.
'It's a different role. He's not easy to be a utility guy, playing once a week,' Cora said. 'I think he did an amazing job baserunning-wise, playing defense. But offensively it's hard to get on track. He's still young. To learn the role and all that stuff is hard. He'll go down there and play a lot and he's part of the mix.'
The Red Sox' other option would have been to send Mayer down. As sound as he has been defensively, he hasn't lit it up at the plate, batting
He has, however, had a strong week. After being out of the starting lineup four games in a row as the Sox happened to face a streak of lefthanded starters,
'He's a big part of what we're trying to accomplish now and in the future,' Cora said. 'He's a good defender. Offensively, there's upside.'
Crochet to skip All-Star Game
Prioritizing rest to prepare for the rest of the season, Garrett Crochet opted out of participating in
Crochet has carried a heavy load in his first season with the Red Sox, leading everybody in starts (19) and innings (120⅓) in addition to owning a 2.39 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and a majors-best 151 strikeouts.
Related
:
He has a shot at reaching 200 innings for the first time.
'No need to make it 201 to throw in a game that doesn't affect our team,' Crochet said. 'It's an unnecessary risk. It's a huge honor to be invited. Ideally, next year, if I were to pitch and earn that honor, I would probably throw in it. But this year … that would be selfish, in a way, to the team. I'm going to come back from the break ready to throw another 60, 70 innings.'
Advertisement
Cora, who in recent days had indicated this was his/the organization's preference, said: 'Obviously, it was his decision. We respect that and the league does, too.'
Crochet (9-4) is due to make his final start before the break Saturday against the Rays. He also is scheduled to face the Cubs on July 20, the third game after the All-Star break.
Lucas Giolito
and
Brayan Bello
are due to start
Related
:
Casey Mize
of the Tigers replaced Crochet on the
Core issue adds to Hendriks's IL stint
Liam Hendriks
, on the injured list with right hip inflammation, now is dealing with a core issue, he said. The righthanded reliever is seeking a second opinion. It's not clear when or if he'll return …
Justin Slaten
is not close to returning from the nerve issue in his neck that had impacted the righty reliever's shoulder. He is throwing with weighted balls, which is a strength-building exercise, but not playing catch with a baseball. 'It's not something you can really put a timeline on,' he said … Friday marked
Carlos Narváez's
66th start at catcher this season. That broke his previous personal record of 65, set in 2023, when he was in the Yankees' farm system … The Sox sent reliever
Isaiah Campbell
back to Worcester to clear a spot for
Hunter Dobbins
, who returned from a strained right elbow to start against the Rays …
Shohei Ohtani
, one of four Dodgers on the list, held the top spot, which was based on sales since Opening Day.
Advertisement
Tim Healey can be reached at
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
33 minutes ago
- USA Today
Best friends, All-Stars for life: Alejandro Kirk, Jonathan Aranda put on for Mexico
ATLANTA – In the lifelong friendship between Jonathan Aranda and Alejandro Kirk, it is Aranda who's theoretically the big brother. Born on May 23, 1998, Aranda came into this world nearly six months before Kirk followed. And they've been besties since Aranda, he says, 'knew how to speak,' while growing up in Tijuana. Yet in the winding path from the hardball fields of Mexico to Major League Baseball, it was Kirk who arrived first in the big leagues, Kirk who stuck as a regular, won a Silver Slugger, made the All-Star team. So it was no small thing when Kirk and Alejandro reported to Truist Park as teammates, two dreamers who all at once could claim the same honor: American League All-Star. They are putting on for their ballclubs, their families and perhaps most notably for Mexico, a land that gets overlooked when the Dominican Republic and Venezuela are so prolific at sending their sons onward to the big leagues. In this Midsummer Classic, though, there are four Mexican natives on the rosters: Aranda and Kirk, along with injured Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes and Seattle Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz. Additionally, Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena earned Mexican citizenship in 2022, seven years after defecting from Cuba. It is no small thing, says Kirk. 'Mucho. Mucho para el pais, para Mexico,' he says, confirming how important it is for the country. And yet no two connections in this game come close to Kirk and Aranda, whose families have converged on Atlanta for the game. 'I'm very happy to be here with him, my family, his family,' says Kirk via Blue Jays translator Hector Lebron. 'The year he's having right now is very special. I'm very happy for him.' It's a nice bit of timing that both are peaking for clubs in the throes of the American League East race. Kirk, a catcher, was an All-Star in 2022, when he batted .285 with a .372 OBP and was worth 4.0 WAR, yet tailed off the next two seasons. In the meantime, Aranda failed in his first three bids to stick with Tampa Bay, never playing in more than 34 games before this season. Yet at 27, it has all clicked. Aranda has posted a .324/.399/.492 line, his .892 OPS good for a 151 adjusted OPS. He has 31 extra-base hits. Despite his modest 11 home runs, he's the best-performing first baseman in the AL. And it's even better joining a pal in the festivities. 'It means a lot. He's my best friend since I was a kid,' says Aranda through Rays translator Eddie Rodriguez. 'It is something really amazing to share the diamond and playing with him here. 'He was a great example. I know and I saw from up close, his path to make it to the major leagues.' Aranda's journey has similarly inspired the Rays, whose plug-and-play ethos sometimes doesn't breed everyday players but rather platoon-oriented parts to a bigger machine. But Aranda has seized his role, his 358 plate appearances trailing only fellow All-Star Junior Caminero and veteran DH Yandy Diaz. His 2.9 WAR leads a team now 50-47 and 1 ½ games out of a wild card berth. 'It's all the recognition that he deserves. He's finally up there on the national stage for what he's able to do,' says Rays All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe. 'As consistent as he's been all year, it's fantastic to really kind of show him off a bit – this is our guy.' And for the more veteran Rays, Aranda's capabilities were probably more evident than the guy trying to stick for good. 'Just the confidence in himself, man,' says Lowe. 'We all knew what he had; we've all seen it before. The big leagues is harder than the minors, believe it or not. It just took him a little bit to get going. 'The biggest thing is him understanding and not faltering and stuck to who he was.' He'll reap the benefits this week. Aranda will be joined in Atlanta by his parents, sisters, brother, brother-in-law and nieces. And above all, will represent his country. Aranda says it will be something 'really good and amazing' to know he and Kirk's exploits will be beamed back home for a new generation. His buddy agrees. 'First of all, you've got to be proud,' says Kirk. 'Proud to represent my country, Mexico, and a bunch of Mexican players in the All-Star Game. 'We should all be proud of that.' The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
With family support, Cal Raleigh becomes first catcher, switch-hitter to win Home Run Derby
ATLANTA (AP) — Cal Raleigh approached the All-Star Home Run Derby like a day on the lawn. Dad was on the mound and baby brother was behind the plate. Only this time, there were tens of thousands looking on at Truist Park and a $1 million prize. 'It goes all the way back to him coming home and me forcing him to throw me a ball and hit it in the backyard or in the house or something we probably shouldn't be doing,' a beaming Cal said, flanked by Todd and Todd Jr. after defeating Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero 18-15 in the final round Monday night. Todd Raleigh, former coach of Tennessee and Western Carolina, threw the pitches and Cal's 15-year-old brother, Todd Raleigh Jr., did the catching. A first-time All-Star at age 28, Cal became the first switch-hitter and first catcher to win the title. He's the second Mariners player to take the title after three-time winner Ken Griffey Jr., who was on the field snapping photos. 'Anybody that's ever played baseball as a kid dreams of stuff like this,' Cal's dad said. 'I dreamed of it. He dreamed of it. When you're a parent, you look at it differently because you want your kids to be happy.' Leading the major leagues with 38 home runs at the All-Star break, Cal almost didn't make it past the first round. The Mariners' breakout slugger nicknamed Big Dumper and the Athletics' Brent Rooker each hit 17 homers, and Raleigh advanced on a tiebreaker for longest long ball: 470.61 feet to 470.53 — or 0.96 inches. At first, Cal wasn't aware whether there would be a swing-off. 'An inch off, and I'm not even in the final four, which is amazing,' Cal said. 'So I guess I got lucky there. One extra biscuit.' Raleigh totalled 54 homers. He won his semifinal 19-13 over Pittsburgh's Oneil Cruz, whose 513-foot first-round drive over the right-centre field seats was the longest of the night. Cal's brother, nicknamed T, kept yelling encouragement to the brother he so admires. 'His swag, the way he plays, the way he hustles,' T said. Hitting second in the final round, the 22-year-old Caminero closed within three dingers — MLB counted one that a fan outfielder caught with an over-the-wall grab. Using a multicoloured bat and down to his last out, Caminero took three pitches and hit a liner to left. 'I didn't think I was going to hit as many home runs or make it to the finals,' Caminero said through a translator. Cal was just the second Derby switch-hitter after Baltimore's Adley Rutschman in 2023. His dad was a righty and wanted both his sons to hit from both sides. 'Did it from the first day, when he was in diapers, literally,' Todd Sr. said. 'I would take that big ball and he had a big red bat. I'd throw it slow and he'd hit it. Then I'd say stay there, pick him up, turn him around, switch his hands and do it again. I was a catcher. I played a little bit, and I just knew what a premium it was. I didn't want either one of my boys to ever say, am I right-handed or left-handed?' There was a downside. 'I don't recommend it if you have two kids, they're both switch hitters, if you want to save your arm, because that's a lot of throwing,' said dad, who had rotator cuff surgery. Raleigh hit his first eight homers left-handed, took a timeout, then hit seven right-handed. Going back to lefty, he hit two more in the bonus round and stayed lefty for the rest of the night. 'Was grooving a little bit more lefty so we were like, since we have a chance to win, we might as well stick to the side that's working a little better,' Cal said. Caminero beat Minnesota's Byron Buxton 8-7 in the other semifinal. Atlanta's Matt Olson, Washington's James Wood, the New York Yankees' Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Rooker were eliminated in the first round of the annual power show. Cruz's long drive was the hardest-hit at 118 miles per hour. Wood hit 16 homers, including one that landed on the roof of the Chop House behind the right-field wall. Olson, disappointing his hometown fans, did not go deep on his first nine swings and finished with 15, Chisholm hit just three homers, the fewest since the timer format started in 2015. After it was all over, the Raleighs headed out. Stephanie, the boys' mom and Todd Sr.'s wife, is surrounded by baseball. 'We kind of leave it in the cage. We've got a cage at home, a building,' Todd Sr. said. 'Or we leave it in the car on the rides home. There's probably been a few times where she says, yeah, that's enough.' ___ AP MLB:
NBC Sports
2 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Victor Wembanyama says he is 'officially cleared to return' to basketball activities
Victor Wembanyama did not set foot on an NBA court after the All-Star Game, when he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. He missed enough games that he did not qualify for Defensive Player of the Year or other postseason honors that might have come his way. Wembanyama has been medically cleared and will be back to start next season, he told French sports publication L'Équipe. 'I'm officially cleared to return. It just happened — I got the green light from the Spurs' medical staff just a few hours ago [this was reported on July 11]. Phew, I'll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again!' Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks per game when healthy last season (although he missed 36 games, he still led the league in total blocks). At age 21, he was named to his first All-Star team. Considering the timing of this announcement, it's no surprise that Wembanyama is still ruled out of playing for France at EuroBasket 2025, which starts next month. Talk to scouts and front office people around the league about who can challenge Oklahoma City's dominance in the West, for next year they usually say Denver and Houston, but talk about two or three years down the line and they fear San Antonio and what they will become with Wembanyama and a good core around him. He just needs to stay healthy.
