GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Right-hander Drew Thorpe has operated behind the scenes as he works his way back to the starting rotation following elbow surgery. It shouldn’t be much longer before he is seen, however.
Thorpe is scheduled for his first live batting practice Tuesday. The plan is for one more live BP and then an appearance in a game.
The former Minor League Pitcher of the Year acquired in the Dylan Cease trade a year ago, Thorpe made a nice first impression last season, pitching to a 3.03 ERA in his first seven starts. Two bad starts, his last two of the season in late July following a streak of six straight with six or more innings, ballooned the ERA to 5.71.
On Sept. 7, Thorpe had season-ending surgery to shave down a bone spur.
Right now, the elbow “feels really good,” he said. “I’ve been bouncing back better after each bullpen. We’ll kind of play it by ear. But I feel like I’m in a good spot right now.”
Thorpe isn’t projecting when he’ll make his 2025 debut.
“I should be at three innings by the end of camp,” he said. “Hopefully it’s a shorter stint than I expected. I’m not going to put a date on it.
“It sucks to be behind everybody. Just take it one day at a time.”
Drury Lane
Looking to recapture his form that saw him win a Silver Slugger Award in 2022 with the Padres and Reds followed by a hitting line of .262/.306/.497 with 28 homers for the Angels in 2023, Brandon Drury is having a good enough spring to force himself into consideration for an Opening Day spot.
The Sox were able to sign Drury, 32, on a minor league contract ($2 million) with an invite to spring training after he slumped miserably to .169/.242/.228 in 97 games with the Angels last season. He was batting .348/.375/.696 with a home run five doubles, which ranks second in the Cactus League, and took a five-game hitting streak into Sunday’s game against the Guardians.
The Sox need offense, but being in rebuild mode, it’s possible he could fetch a younger player in a trade when rosters are re-evaluated as Opening Day approaches.
“He’s been great,” Venable said. “Love that bat and it looks more like he did in ‘22 and ‘23. Excited to see him swinging well, and how it all fits together we’ll decide here in the coming weeks.”
Drury played second base, third base and first last season and has appeared in games in the corner outfield spots and shortstop during his 10-year career. This spring, he has played the corner infield spots and DH’d.
Taylor among cuts
Right-hander Grant Taylor, who struck out six of the seven Dodgers he faced Saturday to record a save, was reassigned to minor league camp along with righty Eric Adler and lefty Trey McGogh.
Taylor, a second-round draft pick in 2023, got eight swings and misses and touched 98.6 or higher with four pitches. He has made three scoreless appearances, covering four innings with nine strikeouts and one walk.
“Really exciting,” Venable said. “Yesterday was a good example, too, a guy throws 100-plus miles an hour but he threw just a couple in the zone and went right to the offspeed stuff, showing you how much feel he has for pitching. And how good his offspeed stuff is, too. A guy who can beat you in a lot of different ways, just really excited about his stuff.”
Taylor struck out 25 and walked one in 16 innings for Low-A Kannapolis last season.
“Looking forward to him having a good year and continuing to develop,” Venable said.
The Sox have 58 players remaining in camp.
Cramping his style
Infielder Chase Meidroth will get a couple of days off “to kind of recharge here and hydrate and make sure he’s all good,” Venable said of the infielder who left Saturday’s game with calf cramping. “Really just precautionary.”
On deck: Sox at A’s, 3:05 p.m., Monday, Mesa, Martin Perez vs. Luis Severino.