Results tagged ‘ Will Middlebrooks ’
Middlebrooks, Red Sox dodge a scare
The Red Sox got the best news possible on Thursday morning. Will Middlebrooks was absolutely fine, a day after exiting the game with discomfort in his surgically repaired right wrist. In fact, Middlebooks could well be in the starting lineup for Friday night’s home game against the Cardinals.
“His exam this morning was benign,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell. “He didn’t feel any discomfort when he was put through a battery of tests and he’s actually been cleared for all baseball activities, but I’m sure he’s going to take the day to just let it rest. But given the way he came out after the swing, it was obviously very good news this morning.”
When will he play? “He’ll be day to day, until he takes BP, which should be tomorrow,” Farrell said. “Our plan right now is that he would be able to go tomorrow, but we’ll just be sure he comes through BP without any issue.”
Third base is one position the Red Sox don’t have much depth at. “Well at the time of the swing, it wasn’t real encouraging. Given what he came through with the fracture a year ago, I can understand that he was a little tentative and probably a little scared,” Farrell said. “Fortunately this morning things checked out OK.”
Lowell the latest old friend to emerge
One day, Pedro Martinez is working with the pitchers. The next day, Jason Varitek is instructing catchers. Then Tim Wakefield is mentoring Steven Wright on the finer points of the knuckleball. And then there was Tuesday, and a surprise appearance by Mike Lowell in a Red Sox uniform.
Lowell was in camp as a guest instructor with the purpose of mentoring Will Middlebrooks at third base. The idea was Dustin Pedroia’s.
Life has come full circle for Lowell, who remembers being a prospect at Yankees camp and working with, among others, World Series hero Graig Nettles.
Now Lowell is the World Series hero working with the highly-touted young player.
“Pedroia wanted me to visit him,” said Lowell. “That was Part One. I think Pedey talked to Will and said we communicated and worked well together turning double plays and said he wouldn’t mind doing some stuff. I don’t think it’s anything he does wrong. I love guys who might want to hear something else because you never know what can trigger something good.
“I remember Scott Brosius and Luis Sojo and Graig Nettles, they told me things they probably meant in passing but it sticks with you when you’re young. I don’t know. We’re not going to reinvent the wheel. We’re just going to talk about stuff and hopefully it helps.”
Lowell was always considered a thinking man’s player. “I felt like my physical talent wasn’t top of the line so I had to have an edge any way I could.”
Lowell is expected to be in camp for a couple of days. He will soon be at Marlins camp serving in a similar capacity for his close friend Mike Redmond — the new Miami manager.
Once Boston’s formal workout was complete, Lowell went for a lengthy tutorial on the backfield with Middlebrooks. Pedroia was also there, taking throws.
Deep in the heart of Texas
If the Red Sox seem a little more comfortable in Texas than other road spots, there’s good reason. Their team is surrounded by players who have Texas roots.
Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz and John Lackey all hail from the Lone Star State, as do Scott Atchison, Matt Albers, Kelly Shoppach, Carl Crawford and Will Middlebrooks.
Monday was particularly special for Middlebrooks, who grew up a Rangers fan, living about two and a half hours from Arlington. This was his first Major League game in Arlington, though he played here in high school All-Star Games.
“I remember how hot it was. It was in July before my senior year of high school. I don’t remember much. It was an All-Star game or something,” said Middlebrooks. “I grew up in Texarcarna which is like two hours from here. But I live here in the offseason now. I have a lot of friends here. I came to a lot of games out here. I’m excited to play here. It’s a fun place. When I was a kid, i remember watching Juan Gonzalez, Pudge. Who else was here? Rusty Greer. A-Rod for a little bit.”
Manager Bobby Valentine also has deep roots in Texas, as the Rangers gave him his start in Major League managing from 1985-92. His son still lives here, and Valentine said he has several friends in the Arlington area.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who hit a mammoth home run tonight, played for the Rangers for parts of four seasons before coming to Boston. Adrian Gonzalez played 59 games for the Rangers over two seasons.
The developing debate at the hot corner
The Red Sox have an old-fashioned quarterback controversy developing here. Well, make that a third base controversy.
Will Middlebrooks, the prized prospect, is hitting the cover off the ball. Kevin Youkilis is on the disabled list, resting his ailing back.
So what happens when Youkilis comes back? The earliest Youk can play is next Monday at home against the Indians. Given that he had just started a walking program the other day, it sounds ambitious that he would return that soon.
In other words, Middlebrooks will get a chance to keep proving himself, like he did Monday night, when he put on a Tour De Force of power at Kauffman Stadium. He curled one around the RF foul pole. He smashed one off the wall in center. He clanged one off the LF foul pole. For those keeping score at home, Middlebrooks has nine RBIs in the last two games.
To take it a step further, Youkilis has nine RBIs in 64 at-bats. Middlebrooks has had 21 at-bats.
Can Youkilis revert back to the star he was before injuries started taking a toll on him in August of 2010? In his last 143 at-bats dating back to Aug. 1 of last season, Youkilis is hitting .203 with four homers and 15 RBIs.
But what happens when scouting reports start to develop on Middlebrooks? Does he then tail off or does he adjust quickly?
There is a lot to think about for the Red Sox. Youkilis obviously doesn’t have a lot of trade value at the moment, given his $12 million salary for this season. He is a free agent following the year, and the Red Sox hold a $13 million option on him with a $1 million buyout.
Could a situation develop where Youkilis is the veteran stuck on the bench, like Mike Lowell in 2010?
Or do the Red Sox deal Youkilis, in which case they will likely have to eat a lot of the salary.
This is yet another tough decision for Ben Cherington to be faced with in his first season as general manager.
Middlebrooks and the Red Sox are back out there tonight in an 8:05 p.m. ET contest at Kauffman Stadium.
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