RED SOX NOTEBOOK: Cora recalls Mets days

Manager Alex Cora spent a season in New York.

BOSTON -- The last visit made by the Mets to Fenway Park coincided with Alex Cora’s lone full season with the club.

New York traveled to face the Red Sox in 2009, one season after Cora ended his four-year run as a utility man with Boston. He spent most of 2010 with the Mets before being released in August and picked up by the Rangers as part of their playoff push, a move that was ultimately unsuccessful. Texas manager Ron Washington mistakenly thought the club was acquiring a right-handed hitter in Cora and never found a way to fit him into a powerful lineup headed at the time by outfielder Josh Hamilton.

New York was at the start of its freefall from postseason contention during Cora’s time, tumbling from 89 wins in 2008 to just 70 in 2009. The Mets didn’t reach the .500 mark again until a surprise World Series run in 2015, eventually falling to Kansas City in five games.

“It wasn’t a great team – a lot of injuries there,” Cora said. “I had fun, but I didn’t have so much fun.”

One of Cora’s teammates during that time was third baseman David Wright, who is in the final stages of his 15-year career. The 35-year-old has played in just 75 games since 2015, bedeviled by back, neck and shoulder injuries. Wright will be activated for the club’s final homestand this season against Atlanta and Miami and is scheduled to make his first start of 2018 on Sept. 29 against the Marlins.

“Besides being talented, I used to tell David, ‘I don’t know how you do it,’” Cora said. “When I played there it wasn’t the greatest time, but he was amazing with the media. Amazing.”

Wright was a seven-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner into 2014, slashing .301/.382/.506 with 1,558 hits and 876 RBI through his age-30 season. His failing health and the organization’s move from a more hitter-friendly Shea Stadium to cavernous Citi Field derailed what could have been a road to the Hall of Fame for Wright, who will be remembered as one of the premier players in franchise history.

“Like he said, his daughters (Olivia and Madison) are going to see him play baseball – I think that’s the goal,” Cora said. “I think the fan base, they’re going to appreciate that. For him to go out there and play, that’s going to be fun.”

Starter out: Hector Velazquez (illness) was scratched from his scheduled Friday start against the Mets and replaced by William Cuevas.

Velazquez told Cora he was sick on Thursday and was sent home early. The right-hander called Cora early Friday morning and told the manager his symptoms had yet to subside for the opener of the three-game series.

“He felt weak,” Cora said Friday afternoon. “We’re going to stay away from him – we actually sent him home already.”

With Chris Sale scheduled to throw up to three innings on Sunday, Boston’s bullpen will be busy. Cora kept Brian Johnson, Drew Pomeranz and Steven Wright in reserve as options over multiple innings behind Cuevas and Sale.

Medical updates: The Red Sox received some good news at the back end of the relief corps before Friday’s first pitch. Matt Barnes (left hip inflammation) was able to throw off the mound and, barring any setbacks, is likely to do so again on Sunday.

“Everything went well,” Cora said. “We’ll see how he recovers.”

Boston also handed Rafael Devers a start at third base to rest Eduardo Nunez, who left early in Thursday’s 4-3 win over the Blue Jays. Nunez stumbled through the bag at first base on an infield grounder in the second inning and was removed after smashing a double off the Green Monster in the fourth.

“He’s going to get some treatment today,” Cora said. “If everything goes well he’ll probably go through a workout tomorrow. Hopefully he’ll play Sunday – if not, we’ll take advantage of the weekend and Monday and he’ll be back on Tuesday.”

Limiting Porcello: Rick Porcello starts Saturday on an extra day of rest, and his workload figures to be limited.

Eduardo Rodriguez completed six innings on just 78 pitches Thursday, and Cora expects something similar from Porcello in the middle game of the series. The right-hander tops the Red Sox staff with 30 starts made and 179-1/3 innings pitched.

“I think that will be good for him,” Cora said. “He has one extra day. I was actually shooting for Sunday, but I forgot that we had to keep the other guy (Sale) on schedule.”