X-rays on Willson Contreras’s hand were negative, but don’t take that to mean everything is sunshine, rainbows, and Swiss cheese. Contreras’s hand still shows visible bruising and he cannot grip a bat. He hopes to take some initial swings today. “Hand’s still really sore. Woke up feeling a little better,” he said. “I can squeeze a little better than [Friday], but it’s going to take a few days… I’m going to do everything in my power to get back on the field before the playoffs.” (Peter Abraham, Boston
Globe)
Contreras won’t be on the field for a few days, but he’s still in the clubhouse. That wasn’t the case for Roman Anthony, who was sent to Fort Myers during his rehab, where he worked hard to stay connected to the team. “Just staying in touch with them and seeing what they were doing, I think it’s just the relationship we have,” Anthony said. “As a group, we’re all so close. For me, obviously, Fort Myers wasn’t the most ideal situation, but that’s part of it, and I had a good group of guys down there, and up here.” (Tara Sullivan, Boston Globe)
But now that he’s back in the big leagues, it’s time for Roman to start producing more consistently. He did some extra hitting work before this series against the Rays began and the team is confident he’s going to really get going. “I mean, you see what he can do. It’s the game of baseball, there’s ebbs and flows,” said Chad Tracy. “He came off the rehab, and for like five games, he looked fantastic. Then he went through some stuff, and now he’s starting to look good again. When he’s going well, you see the impact he can make.” (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
Garrett Crochet isn’t with the time right now, but he’s still trying to get back with them. He donned his full uniform yesterday at Polar Park in Worcester and threw 20 pitches, topping out at 92 MPH. The Sox hope he can throw to live hitters at Fenway later this week. Tanner Houck, meanwhile, threw 3.1 innings for the WooSox in his final rehab appearance. (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
A healthy Crochet and Houck could make for a formidable bridge to the back of the bullpen. And after yesterday’s outstanding start, Brayan Bello has also shown that he’s ready to be a part of the postseason action. “For me, it’s just showing the team that I’m ready for these kind of games,” Bello said. “Also, them giving me the opportunity to pitch today was a good step for that. And I thank them for giving me the confidence and the opportunity to start again.” (Rob Bradford, WEEI)
If Crochet and Houck do make it back to the roster, hopefully their transition will be as seamless as Trevor Story’s has been. “The point of getting the surgery was to come back and try to be the player that I know I can be,” he said, “and it’s starting to show.” (Hayden Bird, Boston.com)
