The Red Sox are sending Connelly Early and Payton Tolle home early, according to pitching coach Andrew Bailey. This decision is made to ensure that these pitchers can get a full night's sleep and maximize recovery, especially when traveling to Colorado, where the thin mountain air impacts pitch shapes, batted-ball flights, and physical recovery. Bailey mentions that this practice is common among many teams, including the Giants when he was with them. Early and Tolle will return more than 24 hours ahead of the rest of the Red Sox, who are due back late on Wednesday. Early will pitch against the Yankees on Thursday, while Tolle will pitch on Friday.
The article also mentions the status of Garrett Crochet, who had his injured left shoulder reevaluated and showed improvement in strength tests, but is not yet ready to throw. Additionally, the Rockies lefthander Sean Sullivan, an Andover native, is scheduled to start against the Red Sox on Tuesday and has a personal connection to the team, having attended the 2004 World Series parade as a 2-year-old and counting Jon Lester among his favorites. Sullivan's parents are making the trip to watch him play.
The piece also touches on the return of Romy Gonzalez to rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester after a fleeting left hip issue. Willson Contreras, a Red Sox player, is in the top 10 at his position in All-Star voting, which runs through noon on Thursday. The article concludes with a mention of Tim Healey, who can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com and followed on Twitter @timbhealey.
