Lauren Willand
23 hours ago
After Nick Pivetta got off to a rough start in spring training, the Boston Red Sox appear to have missed the World Baseball Classic due to illness.
Pivetta will not be pitching for Team Canada in the tournament, manager Alex Cora confirmed Wednesday in Fort Myers, Florida. Per video provided by the Red Soxadded that he had not recovered as quickly as the Red Sox had hoped.
“His recovery was slow,” Cora told reporters. “He could do something, but not at the pace he used to.”
However, he is ready for the season opener and is not expected to miss the start of the 2023 season.
Right-hander left JetBlue Park early last week After throwing only one ballPivetta walked off with Trainer before Cora revealed that Pivetta had recently contracted COVID-19 and was regaining her stamina.
“It’s a really difficult decision,” said Pivetta. told reporters, per MassLive. “I got the chance to play for Team Canada when I was little, and then I got to play for them in the WBC. The team and I have (agreed) and understood what we need to focus on here and what we need to do here and now for this team.
“It’s a shame. I’m so proud to have played for that team and for that country.”
Pivetta’s current focus is getting his strength back to 100% and he doesn’t have full spring training for that as he works to earn a spot in the starting rotation.
