The news was good and bad from Pawtucket Wednesday night as the Red Sox Triple-A team won 3-2, but that was secondary to the Shane Victorino, Rusney Castillo and Brian Johnson watch. The bad news was Johnson having to leave the game after a collision at first base. Early reports are his exit was just cautionary.
Victorino had good and bad news. The good news is he left the game on his own volition in his five inning rehab stint in right field. The bad news was the 0-2, but the rust is, of course, present after an extended stay on the DL. Just how long Victorino’s fragile legs survive the rehab is probably somewhere out in Vegas on an over/under line. I’ll take the under.
Castillo was the DH for Pawtucket and went 2-5 in the 11 inning PawSox victory. Castillo picked up where he left off in his previous stay where he was hitting .293 before being sent to Boston. The word from the Red Sox is Rusney needs at bats, but to this observer Castillo looked lost at the plate and in the field in his short stay in Boston.
In Pawtucket the opposite existed as Castillo exhibited grace in the field, a strong and accurate arm, some decent speed with six steals in eight attempts and two home runs and 10 RBI in 75 at bats. That Castillo – at least the hitting portion – was on display last evening. Based on Castillo’s positive results in 2014-15 in Boston, Instructional League, Winter League and Pawtucket the sudden regression certainly raised about 75.5 million red flags.
An additional notation is Jackie Bradley at .322 is now second in the IL in hitting. How long will Bradley remain in the Triple-A gulag will be interesting.
The big news is Johnson. The 24-year-old lefty went 6.2 innings allowing no earned runs and a lone hit. Johnson continued his control efficiency with one walk and seven strikeouts in his 90 pitch effort. The ERA has now dropped to 2.57 and his WHIP to a league best 1.07. Johnson mixed his fast ball and secondary pitches with precision and simply toyed with the Rochester hitters. What does Johnson have to prove?
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