Wednesday Bantering: John Farrell on hot seat in Boston

There’s trouble brewing in Boston. Sitting with a record of 23-21, Red Sox manager John Farrell is on the hot seat after multiple reports of clubhouse issues. Ken Rosenthal reports that Farrell “does not stand up for [the players] strongly enough to the media when the team is struggling.”

“Some also question Farrell’s game management, talk that exists in virtually every clubhouse, some more than others... Maybe this all goes away soon; the Red Sox are talented enough to start playing better and end any questions about Farrell’s status. But a manager’s job security in Boston almost always seems like a day-to-day proposition, given the intensity of the media and fan base.”

Farrell told MLB Network Radio that the team just needs to win. Well, uh... yeah. “All I can do is my very best to win games, and let's face it, we need to win more games.”

Yesterday, we wrote on former Blue Jay Anthony Gose’s conversion to the pitching mound. In his professional debut as a pitcher, Gose reached 99 MPH in his one inning of work. He gave up one run on a hit and walk with Detroit’s single-A affiliate in Lakeland.

Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb of The Score wrote yesterday on five star pitchers who converted to the position after previous, and failed, attempts at other positions on the diamond. The list included Dave Stieb, but also a few other interesting players, including Kenley Jansen and Joe Nathan.

Amid broader clubhouse issues, the Red Sox sent scouts to see “potential trade targets” Jose Quintana and Todd Frazier, per a CBS Chicago report. The rotation, initially thought to be one of the strongest parts of the team, has struggled with injuries to David Price and Steven Wright. Frazier, on the other hand, could fill in for the injured Pablo Sandoval.

The Blue Jays beat the Brewers 4-3 last night, holding on to an early lead. Joe Biagini started for Toronto, pitching into the fifth without allowing a run, and ended the game with a line of 4.1 innings pitched, three earned runs and three strikeouts. Kendrys Morales hit two-run home run in the winning effort. Read our full recap here.

Today, Toronto wraps up their two-game series against Milwaukee at 1:10 ET with Marcus Stroman on the mound. Thank goodness we get to see him bat. Matt Garza will start for the Brewers. You can watch it on Sportsnet and listen to it on Sportsnet 590.

Injury news:

• Francisco Liriano threw a simulated game in Milwaukee yesterday. He’s expected to make a rehab start on Sunday, likely in triple-A, Arash Madani reports.
• Both Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki are expected to be back with the Blue Jays this weekend, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. In Tulowitzki’s rehab assignment, he hit a home run in the bottom of the fifth.
• Aaron Sanchez has no timeline for his return to the pitching mound, but he is expected to remain with the team through his stint on the 10-day disabled list.

Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkColley.