Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo, 27, was suspended for failing to report to the ballpark on time. Boston manager Alex Cora was furious, and he didn’t hide his disappointment.
Verdugo was in the starting lineup in right field, batting fifth, for a home game against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 6, but he abruptly pulled out two hours and three minutes before the start of the game. Adam Duvall was inserted into the lineup in Verdugo’s place. Verdugo’s absence was a blow to the team, as he was batting a combined 3-for-5 (7-for-20) with a home run off Toronto starter Jose Berrios.
According to local media outlets, including MLB.com, Verdugo showed up at the ballpark about two hours before game time. Most players are expected to arrive at least three hours before a home game. Normally, they arrive four hours in advance to warm up and prepare for training, but Verdugo was late. Verdugo’s tardiness has been a problem for his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Before the game, Cora said, “Verdugo is not playing today. “We took a step back as a team,” Cora said before the game, “We decided not to play him. For us to move forward, every player needs to be able to play every day. And we didn’t. As a coach, I have to take responsibility for this. I will not take Verdugo out of the game.”
After the game, Verdugo said, “It’s the coach’s decision and I respect it. He’s the coach, he’s the head of this team. I have responsibilities, but it’s his decision. I don’t know if this decision will hurt or help the team, but I would say it will help in many ways,” he said, adding, “As a player, I want to play every day, and it was a little hard to watch the game from the bench.”
With Verdugo out, Boston lost to Toronto 4-5. Yu Darvish, who replaced Verdugo, went 2-for-4 with two RBIs but was unable to prevent the loss. The Red Sox, who have lost three straight, are 57-53 (.518 winning percentage), fifth in the American League East and sixth for the wild card, four games out of the postseason cutoff for third-place Toronto (62-50). With every game counting to make it to fall ball, the Verdugo tardiness really threw a wrench in the works for Boston.
After the game, Coach Cora said, “I’m very disappointed. Probably one of the worst days I’ve had with this team. We took a step back today. I feel responsible because I am the leader of the team. It’s hard, but we have to bounce back tomorrow. But today is very disappointing,” he said in frustration.온라인카지노
When pressed by local reporters for a specific explanation for the exclusion of Verdugo, Cora refused to reveal it publicly, saying, “There is a reason for the decision not to play him. I’m not going to go into details, but that’s enough,” he said, declining to comment further. Verdugo said, “I take (the situation) like a man. I’m going to shake it off and get back up,” he said, adding that he will focus on the next game.
Verdugo, a left-handed hitting outfielder who debuted with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2017, came to Boston in a major trade that included Mookie Betts prior to the 2020 season. In seven major league seasons, Verdugo has batted .2163 (613-for-613) with 52 homers, 242 RBIs and a .771 OPS in 607 games. This season, he’s batting .217 (103-for-382) with eight homers, 41 RBIs and a .768 OPS in 98 games.