Boston Red Sox Wiretap

Red Sox ace left-hander Garrett Crochet is set to throw batting practice off the Fenway Park mound Tuesday as he returns from inflammation in his pitching shoulder.

Crochet was 3-3 with a 6.30 ERA when he went on the injured list April 29. He had a bullpen session before Saturday's loss to the Minnesota Twins, his fourth side session.

"I think right now we're on track for a live BP on Tuesday," interim manager Chad Tracy said before Boston faced Minnesota on Sunday.

Struggling Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story could be out several weeks after sports hernia surgery.

On Friday, the team announced what it said was a successful procedure by Dr. William Meyers at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia.

Story sat out the opener of Boston's three-game series at Atlanta last week and was placed on the 10-day injured list the following day. He told reporters in Atlanta that he was weighing his options but that surgery could keep him out for as many as 10 weeks.

With nearly two months of the 2026 season complete, 22 players from the preseason MLB top 100 prospect list have graduated from eligibility, reshuffling the rankings ahead of what figures to be an active trade deadline season.

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Jesus Made, 19, moves to the top spot after posting 90th percentile exit velocities that rank among big league averages despite playing in Double-A. His ability to control the strike zone and his defensive profile stand out, though scouts note his swing produces insufficient lift to translate his raw power into home run totals. If that changes in the second half, a significant ranking jump could follow.

Among the most notable movers is Boston Red Sox shortstop Franklin Arias, who climbs from 36th to sixth after posting improved exit velocity and lift rates while maintaining contact. Athletics shortstop Leo De Vries jumps to second after his profile helped pry All-Star closer Mason Miller from Oakland. Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Seth Hernandez rises from 49th to seventh after slider and fastball shape improvements unlocked his ceiling.

Notable graduates from the list include the previous top two prospects, Konnor Griffin and Kevin McGonigle, along with Samuel Basallo, JJ Wetherholt, Bubba Chandler, Carson Benge, Andrew Painter, and Carson Williams, among others.

Seven players currently on active big league rosters remain eligible but could graduate within weeks.

Top-50 MLB Prospects

60FV
1. Jesus Made, SS, Milwaukee Brewers (Previous: 3)
2. Leo De Vries, SS, Athletics (Previous: 11)
3. Colt Emerson, SS, Seattle Mariners (Previous: 6)
4. Max Clark, CF, Detroit Tigers (Previous: 8)
5. Sebastian Walcott, SS, Texas Rangers (Previous: 5)
6. Franklin Arias, SS, Boston Red Sox (Previous: 36)
7. Seth Hernandez, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates (Previous: 49)
8. Eli Willits, SS, Washington Nationals (Previous: 41)
9. Kade Anderson, LHP, Seattle Mariners (Previous: 16)
10. George Lombard Jr., SS, New York Yankees (Previous: 20)
11. Travis Bazzana, 2B, Cleveland Guardians (Previous: 23)
12. Walker Jenkins, CF, Minnesota Twins (Previous: 9)
13. Trey Yesavage, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays (Previous: 14)
14. A.J. Ewing, CF, New York Mets (Previous: 28)
15. Rainiel Rodriguez, C, St. Louis Cardinals (Previous: 19)
16. Aidan Miller, SS, Philadelphia Phillies (Previous: 10)
17. Ryan Sloan, RHP, Seattle Mariners (Previous: 24)

55 FV
18. Josue De Paula, LF, Los Angeles Dodgers (Previous: 21)
19. Josuar Gonzalez, SS, San Francisco Giants (Previous: 30)
20. Ethan Salas, C, San Diego Padres (Previous: 110)
21. Ryan Waldschmidt, CF, Arizona Diamondbacks (Previous: 63)
22. Thomas White, LHP, Miami Marlins (Previous: 18)
23. Alfredo Duno, C, Cincinnati Reds (Previous: 29)
24. Connor Prielipp, LHP, Minnesota Twins (Previous: 54)
25. Caleb Bonemer, 3B, Chicago White Sox (Previous: 34)
26. Luis Pena, SS, Milwaukee Brewers (Previous: 26)
27. Ethan Holliday, SS, Colorado Rockies (Previous: 66)
28. Liam Doyle, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals (Previous: 50)
29. Tyler Bremner, RHP, Los Angeles Angels (Previous: 56)
30. Theo Gillen, CF, Tampa Bay Rays (Previous: 92)
31. Ralphy Velazquez, 1B, Cleveland Guardians (Previous: 33)
32. Jett Williams, SS, Milwaukee Brewers (Previous: 32)
33. JoJo Parker, SS, Toronto Blue Jays (Previous: 52)
34. Zyhir Hope, RF, Los Angeles Dodgers (Previous: 40)

50 FV
35. Cam Caminiti, LHP, Atlanta Braves (Previous: 53)
36. Jonah Tong, RHP, New York Mets (Previous: 31)
37. Noah Schultz, LHP, Chicago White Sox (Previous: 96)
38. Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Minnesota Twins (Previous: 79)
39. Angel Genao, SS, Cleveland Guardians (Previous: 80)
40. Gage Jump, LHP, Athletics (Previous: 42)
41. Jhonny Level, SS, San Francisco Giants (Previous: 84)
42. Emmanuel Rodriguez, CF, Minnesota Twins (Previous: 97)
43. Josh Hammond, SS, Kansas City Royals (Previous: 132)
44. Edward Florentino, CF, Pittsburgh Pirates (Previous: 78)
45. Eduardo Quintero, CF, Los Angeles Dodgers (Previous: 37)
46. Anthony Eyanson, RHP, Boston Red Sox (Previous: NR)
47. Eduardo Tait, C, Minnesota Twins (Previous: 38)
48. Didier Fuentes, RHP, Atlanta Braves (Previous: 88)
49. River Ryan, RHP, Los Angeles Dodgers (Previous: 125)
50. Jamie Arnold, LHP, Athletics (Previous: 60)

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch publicly broke from his own pitcher Tuesday after Framber Valdez hit Trevor Story with a fastball following back-to-back Red Sox home runs, triggering a bench-clearing confrontation in a 10-3 Boston victory.

The incident occurred in the fourth inning, after Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu hit consecutive home runs to extend Boston's lead to 10-2. Valdez immediately plunked Story on the very next pitch at 94 mph. Catcher Dillon Dingler and plate umpire Adam Beck stepped between the two players as both dugouts emptied. No punches were thrown.

Valdez denied any deliberate intent, speaking through an interpreter after the game.

"It was not intentional," Valdez said. "It might look like it, but it wasn't. I was trying to throw strikes after the two consecutive home runs. I was trying to go back in the zone and that pitch came out of my hand."

Hinch offered no public support for his pitcher, however.

"We play a really good brand of baseball here. That didn't feel like it," Hinch said. "It's not judging intent; I have no idea. But I know when you go out on the field and you end up sort of in those confrontations, you usually feel like you're in your right. And it didn't feel good being out there. So I understand their frustrations. I understand the moment, and it was a low moment of a frustrating night."

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy was more direct.

"Yes, I do think [it was intentional]," Tracy said. "I thought it was weak, and I thought everybody saw it. Their side, our side, I think everybody saw it. And yeah, it was weak."

Valdez was ejected by third base umpire Dan Iassogna, having surrendered 10 runs across three-plus innings. A potential suspension would further strain Detroit's rotation, currently missing Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, and Justin Verlander to injuries.

A small plane towing a banner imploring Red Sox ownership to sell the team flew over Fenway Park on Friday while Boston and the Houston Astros took batting practice.

The plane towed a banner with big red letters reading: "FIRE CRAIG! SELL THE TEAM!"

The banner was aimed at Craig Breslow, Boston's chief baseball officer, and Red Sox principal owner John Henry.

Boston beat the Astros 3-1 Friday but remain in last place in the AL East, with a 13-19 record.

The Boston Red Sox placed ace Garrett Crochet on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, the latest early season setback for the star left-hander.

The Red Sox announced the roster move before Wednesday afternoon's game against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Utility man Nate Eaton was recalled from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding roster move.

The dismissal of Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora and five veteran coaches Saturday shocked the baseball world, but those inside the organization say the tension driving the decision had been building since Craig Breslow's arrival after the 2023 season. The Red Sox were 10-17 when Breslow delivered the news in person in Baltimore following a 17-1 victory.

Breslow pushed back on the notion that the outcome was predetermined. "The idea that this was some predetermined outcome is just not true," he said Tuesday in Toronto.

Multiple sources granted anonymity described a front office at odds with the hitting staff throughout 2025. Breslow had questioned the methods of hitting coach Pete Fatse and his assistants, with prospect Kristian Campbell's struggles at the major league level cited internally as a primary source of frustration. Campbell posted a .664 OPS before being optioned back to the minors in June 2025 and has not returned.

Third baseman Alex Bregman repeatedly advocated for the embattled hitting coaches. One source said Bregman "stepped in last year and stopped the firings." Bregman, now with the Chicago Cubs on a five-year, $175 million deal, declined to address the situation directly but said: "I got all the love in the world for those guys."

Saturday's purge also claimed franchise icon Jason Varitek, bench coach Ramon Vazquez, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson and major league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin. No coaches who predated Breslow's tenure remain on the major league staff.

The two newly elevated hitting coaches, John Soteropulos and Collin Hetzler, both have backgrounds at Driveline, the analytics-driven training facility whose founder Kyle Boddy joined Boston as a special advisor in 2024.

"It's his show," one source said. "He's going to run it his way."

Alex Cora has turned down an offer to manage the Philadelphia Phillies, just three days after the Boston Red Sox let him go, The Post's Jon Heyman confirmed. Bench coach Don Mattingly will instead lead the club on an interim basis.

Philadelphia approached Cora after dismissing Rob Thomson on Tuesday, with the reigning NL East champions mired at 9-19, tied with the New York Mets for the worst record in baseball.

Cora and Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski share prior history. The two worked together in Boston from 2018-19, winning a World Series title in Cora's first season as manager. The Red Sox dismissed Dombrowski after the 2019 season despite an 84-78 record.

Boston fired Cora on Saturday following a 10-17 start that left the Red Sox in last place in the AL East. His farewell message to fans on social media notably omitted president of baseball operations Craig Breslow and owner John Henry.

Mattingly, 65, takes over with 12 years of managerial experience spanning the Los Angeles Dodgers (2011-15) and Miami Marlins (2016-22). He carries a career 446-363 record. His first game leading Philadelphia comes Tuesday night at home against the San Francisco Giants.

Mattingly's performance in the interim role could determine whether the Phillies revisit a pursuit of Cora this offseason.

Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Monday he welcomes player feedback on his communication approach, one day after facing sharp internal criticism over how he handled the surprise dismissal of manager Alex Cora and five members of his coaching staff.

Veteran shortstop Trevor Story called Breslow's Sunday morning explanation to the team "unsatisfactory." Reliever Garrett Whitlock added that Breslow did not allow players to ask questions during that session.

"I encourage players to give me feedback about that," Breslow told reporters Monday, according to MassLive. "And so as I talk to guys, if they are comfortable sharing how information can better be delivered, I want to listen. I want to take that into consideration."

Breslow confirmed he has since spoken individually with several players, including Story, who had publicly questioned "the true direction of the franchise" following Sunday's meeting.

"Trevor and I had a conversation," Breslow said. "Trevor obviously is a very important part of this team. He's also a leader on this team, and he's incredibly well respected in the clubhouse and by the staff and by me."

Story indicated the two resolved their differences ahead of Monday's series opener in Toronto against the Blue Jays.

"It's part of the process," Story told NESN. "Having these tough conversations. Whether you agree or disagree, I think at the end of the day, we agree that we want the Red Sox to win."

Boston defeated the Blue Jays 5-0 on Monday, moving to 2-0 since Cora's firing.

Boston Red Sox players voiced anger and confusion Sunday over the dismissal of manager Alex Cora following a 10-17 start. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow addressed the team pregame, but several players found his explanation unsatisfactory.

Veteran shortstop Trevor Story was among the most vocal. He called Cora and the departed coaches "some of the best coaches in the world" and said he felt they were not given a fair opportunity.

"If this shows us anything," Story said, "it's we're here to play baseball, and that's it. We don't make decisions. We don't have any input on that."

Pitcher Garrett Whitlock described a brief, subdued clubhouse meeting. Breslow spoke for two minutes. New manager Chad Tracy addressed players for three to five minutes. Team president Sam Kennedy and owner John Henry stood silently against a wall.

"They made it very clear that we get paid to play baseball, and we need to just focus on playing baseball," Whitlock said. "So that's where we're at."

Cora was one of five staff members dismissed Saturday, joined by hitting coach Peter Fatse, third-base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramon Vazquez, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, and major-league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin.

Despite the turmoil, players expressed confidence in Tracy, who managed several current Red Sox players at Triple-A Worcester last season. Story called Tracy "a great baseball mind."

Roman Anthony offered a measured but determined assessment of the situation.

"We can still win the World Series," Anthony said. "The standard for me remains the same. My commitment to this team, this city, these people, is still the exact same."