PEORIA, Ariz. — Veteran right-hander Joe Kelly says start the season now.
“I’ve seen a lot of players, if you’d ask them, they’re probably 100% ready,” Kelly said after pitching a scoreless inning of relief with one strikeout Saturday. “Maybe timing is off, but body-wise, everyone is up to full-game speed. Pretty rare to see that, especially pitchers.”
It’s probably a stretch to say the Sox are game-ready with three weeks left in spring training, but Kelly is seeing Sox pitchers hit velocities they were hitting at midseason last year, “which is crazy,” he said.
Kelly attributes it to players coming into camp ready, with a collective chip on the shoulder after last season’s 81-81 disappointment. It has been a theme throughout the spring.
“It shows we came here with a purpose, an intensity,” Kelly said. “Obviously, we want to win every spring-training game, but it was more of how fast and under control with some urgency can each player play, and everyone has answered that call so far.”
Kelly said he’s seeing players doing more one-on-one work on defense and hitting, coming in early and staying late.
“Everyone is taking care of business individually, which ultimately helps the team,” Kelly said.
Clevinger’s first start
Right-hander Mike Clevinger struck out four batters with no walks in 2‰ innings in his first Cactus League start, allowing two runs — including one on a homer to the Padres’ Austin Nola, who caught him in San Diego last season.
Clevinger touched 96 mph.
“I’m healthy. Whenever I’m healthy, you’re going to see numbers like that,” said Clevinger, signed to a one-year, $12 million contract to fill out the rotation in the offseason. “I actually think those numbers are a little higher than usual for the first time out in spring training. So that’s boding well for the future.”
Tommy John surgery sidelined Clevinger during the 2021 season. When he joined the Padres last May, his fastball averaged 93.5 mph, a couple of ticks below what he operated with in Cleveland in 2020. Facing the Padres, his former team, “was actually kind of comforting for my first time out back on the mound, to have some guys that I went to war with that have been supporting me,” Clevinger said. “It was good to see their faces and get them in the box.”
Grifol speaks to Giolito
Manager Pedro Grifol’s message to Lucas Giolito, who is looking to bounce back from a rough season in 2022, was this: Don’t forget how good you’ve been, how good you are and how good you’re going to be again.
“This is a very, very, very tough game,” Grifol said.
“Sometimes, you just forget how good you’ve been, how good you are and how good you are going to be again,” he told Giolito.
“Don’t let a period of adversity take the competitiveness and the presence that you have and had take that away and give an edge to the other team.”
Alexy, yes!
Right-hander A.J. Alexy (left oblique) threw a bullpen Friday, will throw another Monday and likely will appear in his first game late this week. Alexy was claimed off waivers from the Twins.
PADRES 6, SOX 5
• Jake Burger might have a tough time making the Opening Day roster because he’s limited to corner infield positions, but the former first-round pick has reminded the Sox how potent his bat can be. Burger slugged his third and fourth homers of the spring, including an opposite-field poke against lefty Blake Snell.
• Oscar Colas continued building his case to make it as the Opening Day right fielder, pinch-hitting in the ninth inning and blasting his first home run against Drew Carlton, raising his average to .407. “My first homer in spring training and my first homer with the big team. It was special,” Colas said.
• Lefty Jake Diekman gave up three hits and one walk in two-thirds of an inning.
• On deck: Angels at Sox, 2:05 p.m. Sunday, Glendale, NBCSCH, 1000-AM, Michael Kopech (first start) vs. Griffin Canning (1-0, 0.00). Kopech is slated for two innings. Davis Martin will pitch three innings in a B game.
