Red Sox Notebook: Tanner Houck/Richard Fitts link for this weekend
A handful of Red Sox and WooSox notes heading into the middle of the week
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Richard Fitts potential next start with the club all hinges on the health of Tanner Houck.
The 24-year-old has remained with the Sox following his Major League debut on Sunday against the White Sox. Fitts looked good and was efficient on the mound against the lowly Chicago squad.
He tossed 5 2/3 innings, allowing just two runs, both unearned on six hits, while striking out two batters.
Houck is currently dealing with an ailing shoulder that hasn’t bounced back following his last start like it was this season. Boston shuffled their rotation up to give Houck additional rest and start on Friday night against the Yankees in the Bronx.
"Tanner, obviously that, and where we're at today," Cora said about Fitts and Houck’s status prior to Tuesday's matchup with the Orioles at Fenway Park. "So, we'll see. We'll see where we're at."
Cora said Houck is “feeling better” and essentially dealing with a dead arm. It doesn’t seem like the skipper is overly concerned over Houck’s current condition.
"Just the shoulder, like not bouncing back," Cora said. "Nothing to be alert, but be smart about it."
Triston Casas has been scuffling at the plate, hitting just .091 (3-for-31) over his last 11 games. Cora sat Casas on Monday night with the Orioles utilizing a left-hander on the mound in Cade Povich.
With Casas in the middle of the slump, his skipper offered some advice to his young first baseman.
I had a good conversation with Triston after Sunday," Cora said on Tuesday. "He was walking me through his approach. How he felt when he went to Baltimore, where he was swing-wise, and what he was trying to accomplish. One thing I told him was, 'Man, you're a good hitter. Sometimes just keep it simple. See the ball; hit it.' That's the best approach for him. So, hopefully we get back to that."
Cora is hopeful the breather on Monday will help Casas get back on track as the Red Sox play a key stretch of games and are in the thick of the playoff hunt.
"All depends how many swings he took mentally in the dugout, and now he might be tired," Cora joked. "But just watching the game from that end is always good."
Red Sox minor league infielder/catcher Mickey Gasper has reported back to Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday.
Gasper was out of the lineup to begin the final homestand this season at Polar Park with the Syracuse Mets.
The New Hampshire native tweaked his back while he was packing up his things to head back to the minors, according to Beyond the Monster’s Andrew Parker.
WooSox skipper Chad Tracy said that Gasper is considered day-to-day.
The team also added outfielder Corey Rosier from Double-A Portland. The WooSox bench has been short following the Eddy Alvarez trade to the Mets on Sunday. Speaking of Alvarez, he was added to New York’s 40-man roster and scored a run in his team debut on Monday night.
Bobby Dalbec is back with the WooSox after he cleared waivers and was outrighted to the minors.
Rob Refsnyder had a career night on Monday night, going 4-for-4 with two homers, two singles, a double, and a walk in the 12-3 win over the Orioles.
Leading up to Monday night’s game, Refsnyder has been in a slump, with only getting two hits in his last seven at-bats, credits the hitting department with his recent turnaround.
"A lot of people behind the scenes have been helping me," Refsnyder said after the win to reporters on Monday. "I've been freaking so bad, so it's been a grind. It's been a lot of frustrating nights.”
He set a career high with five RBI and matched a career-high in hits. It was also his second multi-homer game of the year and his fourth of his career.
"A lot of credit to the hitting department," Refsnyder said. "They've stayed up countless hours trying to help me out, figure some stuff out. So, it felt really, really good to kind of breakthrough. It's been just super frustrating. (...) It's been a grind. A lot of credit to a lot of different people."
Refsnyder also credited Jarren Duran for his leadership and helping him through his troubles at the plate.
"I've known Jarren the longest out of all these guys," Refsnyder explained. "Spring training, Triple-A Worcester, he's seen my swing really bad, really good. He kind of just pulled me aside. Talked about what he was seeing. Giving pointers and things like that. Just trying to keep me in a positive state of mind.
"Jarren, behind the scenes, really just helping me out. Jarren is one of our leaders. Him and Raffy for sure. So it was great to have somebody like Jarren keep me going."
