It’s been an emotional few days for Blake Swihart, and things aren’t going to get any easier anytime soon, but the Boston Red Sox catcher got a needed reprieve at a familiar place Thursday afternoon. One day after it was announced Swihart’s adopted brother, 23-year-old Romell Jordan, died unexpectedly, Swihart was back in Boston’s lineup for a spring training contest against the Washington Nationals in Fort Myers, Fla. Swihart had a nice moment in the bottom of the fourth inning when he shot a line drive to left field for an RBI single. That signaled the end of his day, and his manager and teammates were waiting in the Boston dugout to embrace him on what had to have been a tough day. First in line was manager Alex Cora who wrapped Swihart in a hug before the catcher embraced the rest of his teammates.<doc-sep>Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart will be with the team on Thursday, one day after the passing of his younger brother, Romell Jordan. Blake Swihart will be with Red Sox on Thursday: My brother would probably love for me to show up and play originally appeared on nbcsportsboston.com Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart will be back with the team on Thursday, one day after the unexpected passing of his adopted younger brother, Romell Jordan. During his press conference on Wednesday, manager Alex Cora revealed Swihart told him, "My brother would probably love for me to show up and play." "He feels that being around his teammates right now is good for him," Cora said. "He feels like whenever he has to go, he'll go. But right now he's here with his wife and around the guys." Hours after receiving the devastating news of Jordan's death, the Red Sox fell 7-6 to the Orioles. The team's focus wasn't on baseball, and understandably so. "There was no energy," said Cora. "We just showed up today. And I'm not complaining because I was the same way. I just told Dave [Dombrowski], we've gotta go home and get some rest. It was a tough one. He's a good kid. They're a great family. Very well liked in the clubhouse. Great teammate. We talk about it today in the coach's meeting. Last year, if he wanted to, he could have shut it down. ‘Why work? I show up here. I have no options. Either they trade me or whatever.' It was the total opposite." The Red Sox will host the Nationals at JetBlue Park on Thursday. Cora said Swihart may be slotted in as the designated hitter if he indeed opts to play. Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.<doc-sep>The brother of a Boston Red Sox player has died, the team announced. The team abruptly canceled media availability Wednesday morning and it was revealed that a player had a family emergency. When manager Alex Cora did speak, he was visibly saddened but did not initially explain what happened.Several hours later, the team confirmed that Romell Jordan, 23, the younger brother of catcher Blake Swihart, died. "The entire Red Sox organization sends its deepest condolences to the Swihart family for their loss. The family is asking for privacy at this difficult time," the Red Sox wrote in a statement. The team was told of the incident Wednesday morning, and players were quick to support the Swihart family.Pitcher David Price tweeted, “Through triumph, tragedy and heartbreak this team/organization sticks together! !” Swihart's parents held guardianship of Jordan when he was younger. He was a running back at the University of New Mexico, according to an article by Ian Browne. The team is in Fort Myers for spring training and is set to play the Baltimore Orioles at 1:05 p.m.It’s been an emotional start to the season. Last week, Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo, who covered the Red Sox and the rest of the sport for more than three decades, died Thursday after collapsing outside the team's spring training clubhouse. The newspaper said Cafardo appeared to have an embolism. The team's medical staff responded quickly but was unable to revive him. The brother of a Boston Red Sox player has died, the team announced. The team abruptly canceled media availability Wednesday morning and it was revealed that a player had a family emergency. When manager Alex Cora did speak, he was visibly saddened but did not initially explain what happened. Several hours later, the team confirmed that Romell Jordan, 23, the younger brother of catcher Blake Swihart, died. "The entire Red Sox organization sends its deepest condolences to the Swihart family for their loss. The family is asking for privacy at this difficult time," the Red Sox wrote in a statement. This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. A Statement from the Boston Red Sox: pic.twitter.com/CSnmFhK5lf — Red Sox (@RedSox) February 27, 2019 The team was told of the incident Wednesday morning, and players were quick to support the Swihart family. Pitcher David Price tweeted, “Through triumph, tragedy and heartbreak this team/organization sticks together! !” This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Swihart's parents held guardianship of Jordan when he was younger. He was a running back at the University of New Mexico, according to an article by Ian Browne. The team is in Fort Myers for spring training and is set to play the Baltimore Orioles at 1:05 p.m. It’s been an emotional start to the season. Last week, Boston Globe baseball writer Nick Cafardo, who covered the Red Sox and the rest of the sport for more than three decades, died Thursday after collapsing outside the team's spring training clubhouse. The newspaper said Cafardo appeared to have an embolism. The team's medical staff responded quickly but was unable to revive him.<doc-sep>Romell Jordan’s sudden death was a tragic end for a young man who had triumphed over a tough upbringing and yet another tragic blow to the Red Sox. Jordan, 23, a former running back for the University of New Mexico, was the younger adopted brother of Sox catcher Blake Swihart. Jordan died unexpectedly yesterday morning, but the team didn’t reveal how he died. The sad news came after last week’s sudden death of respected Boston Globe Sox beat writer Nick Cafardo, who was close to many in the organization and was also a correspondent for the MLB network. “We went through Nick, and now we’re going through this — it’s not easy,” said Sox manager Alex Cora. “Honestly, just start thinking the same things I said last week, same feelings today. Same feelings.” There’s no love quite like brotherly love, especially in a situation such as these two brothers, who understood one another through sport and family. When Jordan was at Cleveland High School, Swihart’s parents, Carla and Arlan, opened up their home to Jordan after their daughter asked if Jordan could live with them, according to a 2012 profile in the Albuquerque Journal. Jordan had been living with his godparents, but they were struggling financially, and couldn’t support him anymore. His mother, who died in 2016, lived in Las Vegas, the paper reported, and his relationship with his father was fractured. “The kid is such an amazing kid,” Arlan Swihart, his guardian, told the paper. “The thing is, he’s just basically been abandoned. I’m not saying the world is roses for him, but he’s shown quite a bit of maturity. Some of this stuff he’s having to learn on the fly.” Jordan’s former coaches were heartbroken. “We lost a great one today. Romell had a heart of gold and a smile you couldn’t miss. He was loved by so many. He was an amazing talent on the field. He was a great teammate and friend. Romell will always have a special place in my heart,” tweeted Cleveland High School football coach Heath Ridenour. Bob Davie, football coach at UNM, called Jordan’s sudden death “heartbreaking.” “Romell was one of our first recruits from Cleveland High School, and he was a great young man,” Davie said in a statement. “Romell went through many hardships, from a devastating knee injury to his mother’s passing, while with our team. He was a great teammate and friend and his successful career at UNM was a huge source of pride for him, his family and this community. We will all miss Romell’s positive attitude, and his spirit. The entire Lobo Football family will have the Jordan and Swihart families in their thoughts and prayers through this difficult time.” The Swihart family made a life-changing decision when they took in Romell and their bond was clearly a strong one. It’s beyond heartbreaking that this young man’s life, once filled with hope, has ended so tragically.<doc-sep>
The Boston Red Sox were once again confronted with tragedy Wednesday morning. Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart was scratched from the team's spring-training lineup after learning of the death of his younger brother, Romell Jordan, the Red Sox announced Wednesday. "We are saddened to confirm the passing of Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart’s 23-year-old brother, Romell Jordan," the Red Sox said in a statement. "The entire Red Sox organization sends its deepest condolences to the Swihart family for their loss. The family is asking for privacy at this difficult time." The news comes less than a week after the Red Sox — and the rest of the baseball community — mourned the death of longtime Boston Globe reporter Nick Cafardo. The Albuquerque Journal previously reported that Swihart's family took in Jordan during his last two years of high school due to problems at his home. Jordan listed Swihart as his brother in his bio on the Lobos' web site. "He always was a family friend and stuff happened," Swihart told The Eagle-Tribune in 2014. "And he asked to come live with us and we said, 'Yes as long as we get to take care of you fully.'" Jordan ran for 551 yards and five touchdowns over parts of three seasons during his career at New Mexico. He also returned kicks and punts. The team told reporters Wednesday morning that there was a "family emergency" with one of its players, but it did not immediately name the player nor specify the nature of the emergency. "Through triumph, tragedy, and heartbreak this team/organization sticks together!!" pitcher David Price wrote on Twitter, adding the hashtag "#extendedfamily." Manager Alex Cora told reporters that Wednesday's news, like learning of Cafardo's death, hit the team hard. "It hurts," Cora said before the team's spring-training game. "It's tough. That's a special group in there. We will be OK. It puts everything in perspective again. It's just a game. It is a tough day." Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.