BOSTON -- The Red Sox still expect Eduardo Rodriguez to be their Opening Day starter on July 24, but they seem to have a pretty good backup option in Nathan Eovaldi.
With Rodriguez’s arrival at summer training camp delayed due to a possible coronavirus exposure, Eovaldi became the first Red Sox starter to face hitters since the team got back together. Eovaldi impressed in three simulated innings, throwing about 45 pitches against catchers Connor Wong, Jonathan Lucroy and Jett Bandy and outfielder Alex Verdugo.
“The stuff was great,” said Sox manager Ron Roenicke. “The cutter was good, the slider, the curveball. Threw some really good split-fingers and the velocity was there on his fastball. He got what he needed to do today. Moving forward, we’re thinking his next outing will be an intrasquad game.”
Before spring training was shut down on March 12, Eovaldi looked primed for a bounceback season after a lost 2019 campaign. In three Grapefruit League starts, he tossed eight scoreless innings, striking out 12 batters while walking just one.
Once camp shut down, Eovaldi returned home to Texas and completely shut down his throwing program for about a month. After ramping back up, he got together with Wong -- a fellow Houston area resident -- and was able to stretch himself out to five or six innings in simulated outings.
“I did a lot while we were at home,” Eovaldi said. “My arm feels great and I’m ready to go.”
The Red Sox are still awaiting the results of Rodriguez’s COVID-19 test and hope to have him in camp early this week if he is negative. Though Rodriguez’s delayed arrival might be caused by the club taking an ultra cautious approach, any delayed progress during an already-shortened three-week buildup could put Opening Day in jeopardy.
“(Eovaldi) and Eduardo are probably the guys who are farthest along,” Roenicke said. “(Eovaldi) threw a lot back home and he threw three innings today against our hitters and with counts. He wanted it just like a real at-bat. He’s doing really well. His velocity is already up to where it would be if we were in the season. Right now, he’s really far along.”
A postseason hero in 2018, Eovaldi missed more than three months with an elbow injury last season and ended up posting an ugly 5.99 ERA in 23 appearances split between the bullpen and rotation. This spring, he worked on improving his slider and adding it to a pitch mix that is already among the most impressive on Boston’s staff.
Barring an unforeseen injury, Eovaldi will be ready to be stretched out once the regular season begins in three weeks. Roenicke believes Eovaldi isn’t susceptible to some of the pitfalls of the shortened camp because of his consistent effort level on the mound.
With Chris Sale out for the season and David Price and Rick Porcello now in the National League, Eovaldi will be one of only three traditional starters in the Sox’ rotation, alongside Rodriguez and lefty Martin Perez. So far, the results have been promising.
“Nate is throwing these games out here and is still throwing close to 100 (mph),” Roenicke said. “With him, the effort and the energy level, I guess he doesn’t need that game performance against another team to have that adrenaline and maximize his stuff. The other guys, individually, it’s different.”
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