Red Sox Notes: While Price commands the attention, Thornburg makes strides of his own

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Most of the attention Saturday was focused on David Price. When would he pitch? Where would he pitch? Against whom would be pitch?

But in another section of Fenway South, another Red Sox pitcher was taking an important step of his own. Reliever Tyler Thornburg threw 34 pitches in his third bullpen in the last six days, and is close to being cleared to throw live batting practice sometime next week.

It’s been a spring of amazing progress for the righthander who missed all of last season and underwent thoracic outlet surgery last May.

“We’re very happy for him,’’ said Alex Cora. “Coming in (to camp), and I saw him playing catch and I was like, ‘Hey, this might happen…this might happen.’ He’s working hard to get back on the field. With him, it’s been a day-by-day thing and I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

“But what we’ve seen is positive and where he was in the off-season and when he got here, compared to where he’s at right now, you’ve got give him credit. He’s been working hard. He threw a bullpen of 34 pitches today and a lot of people probably didn’t expect that.’’

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J.D. Martinez has frequently said that he’s not concerned with results during spring training, but you wouldn’t know it by his preparation.

“The way he approaches the whole hitting side (is something),’’ said Cora. “The way he goes about his business  -- he prepares. Even (before) a spring training game, he’s looking at video of the opposition. That’s why he’s one of the best hitters in the big leagues, because he prepares. He has a plan in every at-bat.

“He recognized something with (Minnesota starter Kyle) Gibson before the game that he wanted to attack and he did and he pulled the ball with authority.  I’ve been very impressed. Everybody talks about what he’s done the last few years and how he prepares and all that and to see it is great.  It’s not only what he does on the field, but what he’s going to do off the field, because he’s going to help a lot of guys in that clubhouse to be better hitters.’’

Martinez had two hard-hit balls Saturday – pulling a double in the first and adding a line-drive single in the third – both to left field.

“You try to find as much information as you can,’’ Martinez said. “It kind of refreshes your memory and gets you in that (regular season) routine. That’s what makes this fun – it’s a chess game.

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Lefty Jalen Beeks had a forgettable outing, allowing six hits and a walk to the first seven hitters he faced, leading to seven runs by the Minnesota Twins. He didn’t record an out.

Beeks had been scheduled to throw a simulated game at Fenway South, but when rain entered the forecast, the Sox swapped roles for Beeks and Price, with Price pitching at the Red Sox’ minor league complex and Beeks drawing the assignment down the road at Hammond Stadium against the Twins.

Then, the Sox and Twins waited out a 45-man delay before getting underway.

“Not fair,’’ admitted Cora of the spot Beeks was put in. “That’s a good offensive club and it wasn’t easy. Mentally, you have to prepare regardless of whether it’s a spring training game or a regular season game, or playoffs and I bet last night (he was thinking), ‘OK, I’m going to get my work in (on the side),’ and we changed the schedule.’’