Rafael Devers has been one of the big reasons the Red Sox are where they are currently in the standings, not only with his overall production but also timely hitting. (Sean McAdam; Boston Sports Journal)
Speaking of where the Red Sox currently sit in the standings, Devers is not surprised by it. (Christopher Smith; Masslive)
Another one of those reasons for the team’s performance has been the starting pitching, and perhaps no one has been more surprising there than Nick Pivetta. (Peter Abraham; Boston Globe)
Pivetta is giving at least some of the credit for his success to Jason Varitek on the bench, who continues to get praise for the job he’s doing. (Alexandra Francisco; NESN)
In some not so positive news, the Red Sox had to shut Tanner Houck down from throwing for a bit. (Steve Hewitt; Boston Herald)
A bench coach can fly under the radar for fans, but Will Venable is doing a good job in his first year with the Red Sox. (Megan Garcia; RedSox.com)
Jen McCaffrey takes a look at the contract situations for J.D. Martinez and Eduardo Rodriguez, among other topics, in his latest mailbag. (Jen McCaffrey; The Athletic)