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Boston manager Alex Cora suggested Barnes may not be used in a save situation the next time he pitches, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.
Cora avoided using Barnes on Wednesday after Boston's closer failed to get out of the ninth inning the previous two days. Going back to the beginning of August, Barnes has an ugly 16.88 ERA with three losses and two blown saves. "We'll see how the games go, right? We'll use him accordingly," Cora said. "I don't want to say, 'He's not the closer,' or, 'He is the closer,' 'He's a setup guy.' We've got to get him right. That's the most important thing." That statement is ambiguous and open to interpretation, but it suggests Barnes may be used in a low-leverage situation, then Cora will go from there. Garrett Whitlock and Hansel Robles replaced Barnes in relief Monday and Tuesday and could be in line for more opportunities.
