FORT MYERS, Fla. –– The Red Sox are taking it slow with Franklin Morales.
After the reliever tossed 22 innings during winter ball, manager Bobby Valentine said they would monitor the 26-year-old who is dealing with a "strength issue" early in spring training.
"Franklin Morales has a situation that we're going to address proactively," Valentine said. "He was a guy who was in a bit of a deficit at the end of the season strength-wise. We're going to err on the side of caution right now. Again, he's a relief pitcher that can get ready in a hurry."
Valentine added that Morales feels "really good by the way", while pitching coach Bob McClure said the pitcher isn't feeling pain. If they needed him to pitch on Monday, Valentine insisted Morales would be capable. For the Red Sox, it's just a precautionary measure to ensure they aren't overexerting Morales' arm.
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