RHP Steven Wright, who may have fixed a flaw in his delivery during his last bullpen session, brings a 1-2 record and 8.66 ERA into Saturday's start against the Cubs. Manager John Farrell said before Friday's game that Wright made his delivery more aggressive to get more movement on the knuckleball. Wright has never faced the Cubs but is 3-0 with a 2.79 ERA in five career interleague games (four starts).

RHP Steven Wright again found trouble against the Orioles on Saturday. He allowed eight runs in 1 1/3 innings versus the O's earlier this month and gave up four runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings on Saturday. Wright just seemed to lose control of his knuckler at times in the fourth when the Orioles knocked him out of the game with four runs on six hits. "It's one of those things. It's a grind. It's a long season. (The pitch) is not as unpredictable as it was last year before I got hurt," Wright said.

RHP Steven Wright bounced back with six innings of three-run pitching Monday against the Rays. The knuckleballer gave up four homers and eight runs last Wednesday against the Orioles, but permitted just one earned run on nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts Monday. "Today was the first day you saw Steven have the normal effort and intensity, aggression in his delivery and still able to command the baseball," manager John Farrell said. Wright allowed two runs the opening frame. He has allowed nine of the Red Sox's American League-worst 15 runs in the first inning this season. "Definitely had a rough start," Wright said. "Pitches were up. I think that's kind of been the common denominator from the first inning to last outing -- everything was up."

RHP Steven Wright bounced back with six strong innings on Monday against the Rays. The knuckleballer gave up four home runs and eight runs last Wednesday against the Orioles, but permitted only one earned on nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts on Monday. "Today was the first day you saw Steven have the normal effort and intensity, aggression in his delivery and still able to command the baseball," manager John Farrell said. Wright allowed two runs in Monday's opening frame. He has allowed nine of the Red Sox's American League-worst 15 runs in the first inning this season. "Definitely had a rough start," Wright said. "Pitches were up. I think that's kind of been the common denominator from the first inning to last outing -- everything was up."

NEW YORK -- Jordan Montgomery took a shutout into the seventh inning, and Matt Holliday and Aaron Judge hit long home runs as the New York Yankees ran their winning streak to eight games with a 7-4 victory over Chicago White Sox on Monday night.Montgomery (1-0) allowed a three-run home run to Yolmer Sanchez in the seventh among seven hits in six-plus innings. The left-hander threw 88 pitches and helped the Yankees win eight straight for the first time since June 8-18, 2012.Holliday hit a 459-foot home run in a five-run third off Derek Holland (1-2), and Judge knocked the left-hander out with a 385-foot home run in the fifth. The Yankees (9-4) have their best 13-game start since 2010, and they improved to 7-0 at home for the first time since 1998.Red Sox 4, Rays 3BOSTON -- Steven Wright threw six innings of three-run ball, and Boston scored three runs in the second to beat Tampa Bay. Wright (1-1) allowed just one earned run, nine hits and a walk with four strikeouts.Andrew Benintendi was... [More]

RHP Steven Wright hopes his knuckleball wakes up by the time he faces Rays hitters Monday morning. Wright (0-1, 13.50 ERA) was rocked for a career-worst four home runs and eight runs in 1 1/3 innings in a 12-5 loss to the Orioles last Monday. Wright summarized the start succinctly: "It was terrible." In his only prior start against the Rays, Wright surrendered four runs on seven hits and three walks with three strikeouts in four innings last Aug. 31. Brad Miller (2-for-5) has a homer, two RBIs and three walks against Wright. Logan Morrison (2-for-4) has a solo homer off Wright, while Evan Longoria is 0-for-2.

RHP Steven Wright, who gave up four runs on seven hits in 6 2/3 innings in his first start of the season, faces the Orioles in the second and final game of the series Wednesday night. He is 2-0 with a 2.76 ERA in two starts, both last year, against Baltimore. His 2.47 career ERA is the fourth-lowest among active MLB pitchers with at least 80 innings pitched. Mark Trumbo is 2-for-6 against Wright, but Manny Machado is 0-for-9, Ryan Flaherty 1-for-9, Chris Davis and Jonathan Schoop both 1-for-8 and Adam Jones 2-for-9.

RHP Steven Wright will make his season debut Friday against the Tigers. The knuckleballer went 13-6 with a 3.33 ERA and 127 strikeouts en route to his first All-Star appearance last season.Wright has historically struggled against Detroit, going 0-1 with a 10.00 ERA in two prior starts.

RHP Steven Wright gave up three of his four runs in the sixth and seventh innings Friday, although Boston took him off the hook for a loss with a five-run rally in the eighth. The knuckleballer mixed in some curveballs and struck out three of his four on fastballs in restricting Detroit to seven hits in six innings. "It was just an OK outing," Wright said. "The first inning kind of got away from me with the walks. I can live with giving away base hits, but the walks kill me, especially with a lineup like this. They did a good job of manufacturing runs. They grinded out at-bats."

BOSTON -- Rain put a damper on a hot start for the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, but the postponement may have come at a good time for the Pittsburgh Pirates.Non-stop rain in the forecast forced the teams to scrap the scheduled series finale at Fenway Park, which will now be played on April 13 at 2:05 p.m. ET."I just think with the number of common off-days without exceeding the consecutive number of days played, Thursday was the most logical," Red Sox manager John Farrell said on a conference call.For Pittsburgh (0-2), its opening week has not gone as planned -- particularly at the plate, where the Pirates are hitting just .173 through two games.On Wednesday, the Pirates mustered just five hits and failed to advance a runner past first base for the first time in at least 105 years when playing 12-plus innings.Sandy Leon hit a walk-off three-run homer in the 12th inning to end Pittsburgh's misery and secure a 3-0 win. Boston (2-0) also won 5-3 Monday on Opening Day.At the center of the Pirates'... [More]

RHP Steven Wright (right shoulder strain) was hurt as a pinch runner in August and made just two starts the rest of the season. He is expected to be fine.

RHP Steven Wright (right shoulder strain) threw from 60 feet Thursday in Florida. The Red Sox would like to him to get to 120 feet Friday and Saturday, which would set him up for a bullpen session Sunday in Tampa Bay. Manager John Farrell said Wright could return to the bullpen first when pitching again rather than the rotation.

RHP Steven Wright threw from 60 feet Thursday, and if all goes well, he will throw from 120 feet Friday and Saturday. If that goes well, a bullpen session Sunday morning comes next.

RHP Steven Wright (shoulder) threw from 120 feet Wednesday at the team's minor league facility in Florida. Farrell is hoping he throws a bullpen session over the weekend with the team in Tampa Bay and that since the pitcher is a knuckleballer, that might help him return from the disabled list a bit sooner.

RHP Steven Wright (right shoulder strain) has begun a throwing program at the Red Sox's spring training complex in Fort Myers, Fla., and he could throw off a mound at a later date, according to manager John Farrell. He was injured as a pinch runner. Wright is 13-6 with a 3.33 ERA in 24 starts, and he made the AL All-Star team.

RHP Steven Wright (right shoulder injury) has begun a throwing program at the Red Sox spring training complex in Fort Myers, Fla.He could throw off a mound at a later date, according to manager John Farrell. He was injured as a pinch-runner.

RHP Steven Wright, still out with a right shoulder injury suffered diving into second as a pinch runner, will go to Fort Myers, Fla., on Monday to start a throwing program. He is not expected to pitch again, at least in the regular season.

New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom is expected to undergo elbow surgery, likely ending his season.DeGrom, who needs surgery to repair scar tissue in the ulnar nerve in his right elbow, was scratched from Sunday's start against the Washington Nationals. Rookie Gabriel Ynoa will get the nod on Sunday in place of deGrom, who has yet to decide when he will have the surgery. The procedure is expected to sideline the 28-year-old deGrom for three months.DeGrom last pitched on Sept. 1 and admitted to reporters he felt fine during Friday's bullpen session, but the pain returned 15 minutes later after he tossed a ball back into the infield during batting practice.The 2014 NL Rookie of the Year, deGrom posted a 7-8 mark with a 3.04 ERA in 24 appearances this season. He is coming off a campaign in which he logged 191 innings during the regular season and 25 more in the postseason as the Mets advanced to the World Series.--Washington Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg threw for first time... [More]

RHP Steven Wright (right shoulder strain) has experienced "tremendous progress" in the last three days, according to Red Sox manager John Farrell. "He's not feeling anything right now," Farrell said. However, Wright is still scheduled to head to Fort Myers, Fla. once the Red Sox's homestand concludes Sunday with hope of beginning a throwing program. "How concentrated that throwing program can be maintained and advanced, that remains to be seen," Farrell said. Wright, who last pitched Aug. 31 against the Rays, is 13-6 with a 3.33 ERA over 24 starts this season.

RHP Steven Wright (right shoulder strain) will travel to Fort Myers, Fla. after the Red Sox's homestand ends Monday, and manager John Farrell hopes he can initiate a throwing program and progress to facing live hitters. "We recognize there's 18 games left, he's going to have to build up some," Farrell said. "I don't want to rule (his return) out, but at this point it's going to become a little bit more challenging with each passing day." Wright initially landed on the disabled list Aug. 14 (retroactive to Aug. 8), but returned and pitched two rocky outings on Aug. 26 and Aug. 31. He hasn't pitched since.