Two key pitchers work out at McCoy

PAWTUCKET — Two left-handers of note were among those taking the mound at McCoy Stadium on Tuesday.

Josh Taylor and Jay Groome both worked at the Red Sox alternate site. Taylor threw a simulated inning and Groome threw 20 pitches of live batting practice, his first time facing hitters in almost a year.

Taylor retired C.J. Chatham, Josh Ockimey and Cesar Puello in order to begin the action. Groome matched up with Jarren Duran, Connor Wong, Jhonny Pereda and Jeter [...]

PAWTUCKET — Two left-handers of note were among those taking the mound at McCoy Stadium on Tuesday.

Josh Taylor and Jay Groome both worked at the Red Sox alternate site. Taylor threw a simulated inning and Groome threw 20 pitches of live batting practice, his first time facing hitters in almost a year.

Taylor retired C.J. Chatham, Josh Ockimey and Cesar Puello in order to begin the action. Groome matched up with Jarren Duran, Connor Wong, Jhonny Pereda and Jeter Downs, delivering five pitches to each man.

Taylor continues his recovery from COVID-19 and could be in line for a recall to Boston soon. Chatham grounded to first, Ockimey struck out swinging and Puello grounded to the right side against a three-man infield.

"I feel great," Taylor said. "I feel like I’m ready to go. Just waiting for the OK and hopefully will be back with the team soon."

Taylor was isolated in his hotel room for two weeks after testing positive during the Summer Camp intake phase. The Red Sox prohibited him from reporting to Fenway Park with the rest of his teammates for their opening workout on July 3. Taylor is looking to reprise the bullpen role he earned a season ago when he pitched to a 3.04 earned-run average in 52 appearances.

"Me being a competitor, I wanted to go right away," Taylor said. "But it’s about the safety and my arm and making sure that’s ready to go and not rushing it."

Groome has thrown just four professional innings since 2017 and a total of 66 1/3 since the Red Sox selected him 12th overall in the 2016 draft. He underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2018 and has yet to appear above the Class-A level. Groome was drafted out of a New Jersey high school and is still just 21 years old.

"He’s missed a lot of time obviously," PawSox pitching coach Paul Abbott said. "He doesn’t really have a routine that is probably one that you need to pitch at an upper level.

"His bullpens are very conservative. They’re very deliberate. We just kind of want him to get more aggressive in his bullpens before he goes out there."

Groome’s last professional outing came Aug. 31 with Lowell, and his rust showed early. Duran likely would have drawn a leadoff walk as Groome struggled to find the zone. But his promising raw stuff was in evidence through four swings and misses — two on the fastball, one on the breaking ball, one on the changeup.

"Obviously he needs to log innings," Abbott said. "He’s missed some valuable development periods for him to get on the mound and learn how to pitch as you go every step of the way.

"Here’s a way we can see how everything is looking and everything is working so we have a good, solid idea what we’re getting going into spring training next year."

Groome touched 94 mph with his fastball and had Wong swinging through a fastball at the letters and a breaking ball that dove in toward his shoe tops. He also had Downs offering at a changeup that dipped down and away. Wong and Downs are among the organization’s top 10 minor-league talents per SoxProspects.com.

Groome also remains on that list, currently sitting at No. 8. He signed for $3.65 million out of Barnegat High, which was more than $450,000 above his slot value. Dakota Hudson, Aaron Civale, Zac Gallen, Joey Lucchesi, Shane Bieber and Mike Shawaryn are among the pitchers selected behind Groome in his draft class — all have reached the big leagues within the last four years.

"He hasn’t done it in a long time," Abbott said. "And then we’ll see how his pitches are reacting versus Triple-A hitters, big-league hitters.

"It’s going to be good for him and also give us kind of a strategy or an approach to see what we need to do with him to get him to take the next step."

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25