logo
Young Red Sox star Roman Anthony enjoying being a ‘first-timer' at historic Wrigley Field

Young Red Sox star Roman Anthony enjoying being a ‘first-timer' at historic Wrigley Field

Boston Globe7 days ago
Anthony batted third and was the designated hitter Friday as the Red Sox looked to restart their engines after the All-Star break and to recapture the momentum of their 10-game winning streak heading into it. Seeing so many players at the workout told veteran shortstop
Trevor Story
the team was raring to go.
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
'The boys are ready to just be together again,' Story said. 'I think we miss each other. Believe it or not, we're with each other every single day, but when you go three or four days without it, it's like, 'Man, where the boys at?' You know? I think it's just a sign that the boys love being together. We love the vibe that we have, and obviously shows the focus that we want to start the second half.'
Advertisement
For manager
Alex Cora
, the high attendance reflected a team 'finding our identity. Obviously, throughout the season, we were learning who we are. And there was a lot of stuff that happened, injury-wise, and the [
Rafael Devers
] trade, and all that. And little by little, we found our place.'
Advertisement
Decision soon on Houck
With one simple word — 'yes' — Cora threw some doubt on to what comes next for pitcher
Tanner Houck
, whose rehab assignment expired Friday, leaving the team with a decision to face in the next day or so.
The 29-year-old righthander spent the past two months on the injured list with a right flexor pronator strain, but now the Sox need to decide where he best fits: in the rotation, in the bullpen, back to a new rehab clock, or, as Cora wouldn't rule out, optioned to Triple A Worcester.
Asked directly before the game if optioning Houck was on the table, Cora said, 'Yes,' before adding, 'Bres [chief baseball officer
Craig Breslow
] is not here, so you know, they'll make a decision and we'll inform you guys.'
Houck, an All-Star last season, struggled in nine starts this year, posting an 8.04 ERA before the injury.
'I believe I'm a starter. I've always felt that way. I'll continue to feel that way for the rest of my career,' Houck said before the break. 'I've proven that I can start in this league, even at the highest level. I know that my first nine starts don't define me and what my talent is and what my ability is.'
Advertisement
Bregman easing back in
Alex Bregman
was in the lineup Friday, batting second, and Cora said the 31-year-old third baseman rebounded well physically from his return last Friday but that he will ease his way back into playing every day.
The plan, Cora said, is for Bregman to play the first two games of this series and again in the next series at Philadelphia, then have two consecutive games off before the Sox return home to face the Dodgers.
'Hopefully by [that] Friday, he gets a full go,' Cora said.
Center of the action
Ceddanne Rafaela
was in his customary center field spot, but don't be surprised to see another appearance at second base in the series finale in Philly … Cora said he enjoyed a quiet break, 'stayed in the area with the family and just hung out and then came here to this beautiful place, you know, to start the second part of the season.' … The Sox have quite the test coming up with the Cubs, Phillies, and Dodgers, three straight division leaders. 'We'll see how we stack up,' veteran
Rob Refsnyder
said. 'Three great teams now.'
Tara Sullivan is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Is new Mets reliever Gregory Soto related to Juan Soto?
Is new Mets reliever Gregory Soto related to Juan Soto?

USA Today

time11 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Is new Mets reliever Gregory Soto related to Juan Soto?

The New York Mets made a trade before the upcoming deadline, acquiring relief pitcher Gregory Soto from the Baltimore Orioles. Any relation to Juan? That is what fans are asking after New York's front office gave up two prospects in exchange for the reliever who shares a last name with their biggest star. It is only natural to wonder if this player is a brother or a cousin of the slugger who they signed to a 15-year, $765 million last offseason. The answer, however, is that two-time All-Star pitcher Gregory Soto is not related to four-time All-Star outfielder Juan Soto. Both are from the Dominican Republic, though, where the last name is popular. Juan does have a younger brother, Elian, who plays professional baseball in the minors for the Washington Nationals. They played in the same spring training game earlier this year. It is worth noting that New York does have other players with siblings in the Majors. Luisangel Acuña has a more famous brother, Ronald, who won National League MVP in 2023. Edwin Diaz has a brother, Alexis, who is a former All-Star reliever and currently plays for the Dodgers.

OKC Thunder mailbag: What does Ousmane Dieng's future look like?
OKC Thunder mailbag: What does Ousmane Dieng's future look like?

USA Today

time11 minutes ago

  • USA Today

OKC Thunder mailbag: What does Ousmane Dieng's future look like?

The calendar nears August, which means the NBA is in its driest part of the year. Rosters are mostly set as front offices head into vacations for the next couple of months before training camps start. The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter the 2025-26 season with the hopes of being repeat NBA champions. They had one of the greatest seasons ever with a 68-14 regular-season record and captured the Larry O'Brien trophy. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren were all signed to new contract extensions this offseason. As the Thunder basically run it back with the same roster, Thunder Wire will conduct regular mailbags to answer questions that fans have. One question being asked is about Ousmane Dieng's future. The 22-year-old has been the odd man out among the Thunder's historic 2022 draft class that bolstered their championship run. Being a long-term project and dealing with untimely injuries halted his development. On an expiring $6.7 million salary, Dieng could soon be on the way out. Considering how deep the Thunder are, time has likely run out for him to make an impression. He's averaged 4.3 points and 2.2 rebounds in 109 career games through three seasons. He's spent roughly equal time on the G League's OKC Blue, which has helped his development, but an NBA logjam has buried him on the depth chart. We've seen this movie play out before. Odds are, Dieng will be moved. Either this offseason or at the trade deadline. He hasn't shown enough in three seasons to warrant a second deal, even with the caveat that we all understood the first two seasons were going to be spent as developmental years. As the Thunder quickly ascended to the top of the league, Deing couldn't keep up. A fresh start could do him some good. From what he's shown at the Blue, he clearly has some ball-handling skills and is more of a rhythm scorer. Those types of possessions just aren't afforded to him in OKC. He's better suited to a rebuild situation that will give him room to grow. Instead of being stuck in an off-ball role because he has All-NBA teammates. Now, what a Dieng trade looks like remains to be seen. The expiring salary is always a plus. That's a tool every front office looks for to conjure up trade ideas. His young age and inexperience should also help his market. Plenty of rebuilding front offices could convince themselves he's a new situation away from being a rotation wing. Also important to mention that Dieng won't be the headliner in any deal he's included in. He'll be a nice flyer for another team and could be the final selling point for a trade, but won't be the main piece. The only real question is when he gets traded. The Thunder could hold onto him until the trade deadline to see if they need to make any roster improvements before the playoffs. They're in no rush to make a decision until then. Either way, Dieng was worth the investment. The Thunder were in a rebuild at the time and didn't have anybody besides Gilgeous-Alexander whom they could pinpoint as a certified piece of their core. When you're in the infancy stages of a rebuild, taking a swing on a super young and raw prospect is always worth the gamble.

New York Mets trade for Baltimore Orioles lefty pitcher Gregory Soto
New York Mets trade for Baltimore Orioles lefty pitcher Gregory Soto

UPI

time12 minutes ago

  • UPI

New York Mets trade for Baltimore Orioles lefty pitcher Gregory Soto

1 of 5 | Relief pitcher Gregory Soto previously played for the Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies. File Photo by Laurence Kesterson/UPI | License Photo July 25 (UPI) -- The New York Mets traded two minor league players to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto, the teams announced Friday. The Orioles will receive right-handed pitchers Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster in the swap. Soto, 30, posted a 3.96 ERA and 0-2 record over 45 appearances this season. The two-time All-Star owns a 4.24 ERA and 13-31 record over 366 career appearances. He also totaled 56 saves over his first seven seasons. He will join a Mets bullpen that ranks fifth in the National League with a 3.84 ERA. Mets starters own the second-best ERA (3.40) in the National League. The Mets (59-44) are on a four-game winning streak and sit in first place in the National League East, a half-game ahead of the second-place Philadelphia Phillies (58-44). Soto is set to hit free agency in 2026. Aracena, 20, went 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA over 17 appearances this season for the St. Lucie Mets, the Mets' Single-A affiliate. He went 7-14 with a 4.53 ERA over the first 57 minor league appearances of his career. Foster, 26, went 5-2 with a 2.97 ERA over 21 minor league appearances this season, including time in Triple-A and Double-A. He went 13-10 with a 3.78 ERA in 66 total minor league appearances since 2023. Orioles starters own the worst ERA (5.15) in the American League. Their bullpen owns the third-worst ERA (4.77) in the American League. The Orioles (45-57) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday in Cleveland. They sit in last place in the American League East, 15.5 games behind the division-leading Toronto Blue Jays. The Orioles will host the MLB-worst Colorado Rockies (26-76) at 7:05 p.m. EDT Friday in Baltimore. The Mets will take on the San Francisco Giants (54-49) at 10:15 p.m. Friday in San Francisco.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store