Red Sox send struggling pitcher Josh Winckowski to Triple-A

The Boston Red Sox have sent pitcher Josh Winckowski to Triple-A Worcester after a tough spring training. Manager Alex Cora described Winckowski's performance as a struggle. He allowed 12 runs and 15 hits over seven innings, resulting in a high ERA of 15.43. During his five spring outings, Winckowski walked six batters and struck out four. Cora noted that the team is trying to help him improve. They recently introduced a new pitch called a four-seamer and a bigger slider to change up his approach. Winckowski has some experience, pitching 83 1/3 innings last season. However, his ERA increased from 2.88 in 2023 to 4.14 in 2024. He has spent time with Worcester before and has been working on his pitching techniques. In an interview, Winckowski talked about refining his pitches. He is focusing on a "downer slider" and is looking to improve the location of his cutter, which he used frequently last year. He believes that better pitch placement will help him succeed against left-handed batters.