News and notes from around Red Sox Nation.
So what exactly is wrong with Red Sox starter Tanner Houck? He doesn’t seem to know himself, as he says he’s more lost than he’s ever been on a baseball field. One writer at FanGraphs is struggling to find the answer, too, but he thinks a big part of the problem is Houck’s abysmal four-seam fastball. (Michael Baumann, FanGraphs)
Following Monday’s disastrous outing against the Detroit Tigers, Alex Cora said he wasn’t sure whether Tanner Houck would make his next scheduled start Sunday against the Atlanta Braves or be sent down to Worcester to figure things out. Cora still doesn’t sound completely sure, but says that “as of now” Houck will take the ball again this weekend. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
Whatever happens with Houck, at least we know we won’t have to turn to Rich Hill for help anymore. The 45-year-old Massachusetts native just signed with the Royals. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
Last season, it was Brayan Bello who got off to the rough start, which lingered for most of the year, as he carried an ERA over 5 all the way into August. The struggles were exacerbated by the fact that visa issues kept him separated from his wife and children. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
For essentially the first time in his entire professional career, Rookie Kristian Campbell has finally experienced some struggles at the plate. He’d gone just 3 for his last 34 entering last night’s game until he powered a homer to the opposite field, which Alex Cora calls Campbell’s superpower. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
Given how well Campbell has played this year, it’s more than understandable that so many fans are looking at the other two members of the Big Three — Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer — and wondering when they are going to get their chance. When they do get the call, Campbell will be ready with some advice for them based on his own experiences so far. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)