APRIL 2, 2022•MLB.COM
Papi's gone. But the Era of Raffy is onDavid Ortiz, the most important player the Red Sox have ever had because of the way he produced and the way they won with him in their lineu...
Chris Sale Reveals 'Good News' In Recovery From Rib InjuryRed Sox ace Chris Sale spoke to reporters Saturday about his ongoing comeback from a stress fracture in his ribs.
APRIL 2, 2022•NESN.COM
Kevin Plawecki - Goes yard for first timePlawecki hit a two-run home run in his only plate appearance in Friday's spring training game against the Rays.
ImpactPlawecki launched his first spring homer in the final inning of a blowout loss. He's expected to once again serve as Christian Vazquez's backup. The 31-year-old backstop hasn't hurt fantasy teams during his two-year stay in Boston, slashing .305/.364/.414 over 262 plate appearances. If an auction/draft strategy involves not having a catcher hurt the fantasy team, Plawecki is a good choice.
APRIL 2, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Josh Taylor - Ruled out for Opening DayTaylor (back) will not be ready for Opening Day, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.
ImpactThat means the Red Sox will be without one of their top setup men to begin the season. Taylor will be placed on the injured list in the coming days, while manager Alex Cora figures out the team's late-game options. The bullpen is heavy with lefties, so there are plenty of replacement relievers.
APRIL 2, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Chris Sale - Still not throwingSale (ribs) said Saturday that he feels good physically but hasn't yet been cleared to resume throwing, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.
ImpactSale expects that he'll be cleared to throw relatively soon, and he also said he doesn't expect to need a full allotment of time to build up since he was able to throw early in camp. Although the southpaw's updates Saturday provide some encouragement, a better idea of his return timetable is unlikely to come into focus until he officially resumes throwing.
APRIL 2, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Mike Zunino - Returns to lineupZunino (shoulder) is starting Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
ImpactZunino hasn't seen any game action since Tuesday due to shoulder inflammation, but he resumed baseball activities Friday. His uptick in activity apparently went well, as the 31-year-old will serve as the designated hitter and bat second in Saturday's spring matchup.
APRIL 2, 2022•ROTOWIRE
How an innovator from outside baseball helped make reliever Jake Diekman a Red Sox target - The Boston GlobeThe lefty used a tool called a "heat map" from an independent analyst to marry his pitches to the strengths and weaknesses of hitters.
APRIL 2, 2022•BOSTONGLOBE.COM
