Instead of trying to fix a terrible offense, the Boston Red Sox spent Tuesday doing something bizarre. Interim manager Chad Tracy held a weird automated ball-strike (ABS) practice before their game against the Orioles. This move immediately drew anger from former Red Sox infielder Jeff Frye.

“I wonder which #nerd in the @RedSox front office came up with this brilliant idea???” Frye posted on social media.

Frye played eight years in the major leagues, batting .290, and retired in 2001. Since then, he has built a huge online following with his “#SheGone” movement, where he regularly makes videos mocking modern baseball analytics, private swing coaches, and the sport’s heavy reliance on technology. To him, this drill was just another example of smart executives overthinking the game. He also feels they are not focusing on real baseball skills.

Before Tuesday’s game against the Orioles, the Red Sox catchers took turns behind the plate while hitters rotated through at-bats. Interim manager Chad Tracy stood behind the plate as an acting umpire. The catcher had to guess if Tracy made a bad call, then check an iPad to see the actual result. Boston only decided to hold this drill after seeing the Kansas City Royals successfully practice it.

For a team struggling in almost every area this season, this looked like another leap of faith to solve their problems.

To be fair, this was actually a good decision because the Red Sox have not been very good at ABS. They currently have a terrible 44.6% success rate when it comes to the ABS and rank 29th in the league. Only the Pirates are worse than them.

Red Sox hitters have won only 38.5% of their challenges this season, the second-lowest mark in the league. Their catchers have done better but not great, posting a 52.5% success rate. Tracy admitted that the team has been too hesitant to challenge obvious wrong calls. And that is why he wanted to practice this drill.

But the thing that remains true is that the Red Sox have bigger problems to fix. They currently hold a 26-35 record, and their home form is embarrassingly bad as they are 10-21 at Fenway Park. They are on course to have their worst home season since the disastrous 1932 team went 7-22. This “historic low” is because of their offense. They have hit just 46 homers and scored 243 runs. The team’s OPS is at .699, well below the league average. And the offense not firing has made the pitching look even worse.

The Red Sox pitchers have a respectable 3.85 ERA and have also not walked many. But with no run support from the offense and a few bad outings from pitchers like Brayan Bello, the Red Sox seem to have lost their way in the season. And this is what the Red Sox should be focusing on to solve ABS.

The ABS challenges are worth improving, but until Boston starts hitting and supporting its pitchers, the team’s fate will remain the same. And in the hopes of improving something, the Red Sox seem to have a replacement for Brayan Bello.

The Red Sox are ready to replace Brayan Bello.

The Red Sox created a rotation opening after optioning Brayan Bello to Triple-A Worcester. Bello struggled badly against the Orioles, allowing eight runs in just five innings, and six of them came in the first. The move came as Boston continues searching for answers during a difficult home stretch where the team is 10-21. But now, another young pitcher is about to take advantage of Bello not performing.

Jake Bennett has emerged as the leading candidate for Tuesday’s start against the Tampa Bay Rays. MLB.com’s Ian Browne said that Bennett is a very strong option for an opening spot. Boston got the left-hander from Washington in exchange for Luis Perales in the offseason. Since then, Bennett has steadily worked his way into the club’s rotation talks.

His first major league chance came against the Astros earlier this year. Bennett gave up just one run across five innings and got the win. His second start was harder, giving up four runs in a loss to Tampa Bay. Still, the team liked how he threw the ball.

After returning to Worcester, Bennett responded exactly how the organization hoped. Over his next three starts in the minors, he allowed only two runs and pitched 15 innings. During that stretch, he also recorded 22 strikeouts. Worcester interim manager Iggy Suarez said Bennett “keeps shoving” and is doing everything possible to get back into the majors.

That performance becomes even more important given Boston’s current position in the league. Garrett Crochet is still not fit, and that has created a bigger hole in the rotation. The matchups also work in Bennett’s favor, as the Rays have struggled to hit against left-handed pitchers this season.

Because of that, Bennett’s potential return might actually be better than his last promotion. Boston has already turned to young arms like Payton Tolle and Connelly Early. Another strong showing from Bennett could strengthen his case for a longer stint in the major league.

For a team searching for stability, Bennett could be the perfect thing to give the rotation some hope.