BOSTON - When the Boston Red Sox announced their lineup for Monday's series opener against the New York Yankees, Hanley Ramirez was not in it for the fourth straight game, and 12th overall in August.
It'll be Jackie Bradley Jr. in left field, as a shoulder injury is keeping Ramirez down.
But if and when Ramirez is deemed healthy enough to play, there's still the problem of finding a place to put him on the field.
It's understood that the Sox are better with an outfield trio of Mookie Betts, Rusney Castillo, and Bradley.
It's also understood that David Ortiz is the team's everyday DH. That leaves Ramirez without a position, which is why he's now taking reps at first base.
"Hanley is doing OK. He was out there taking some ground balls today but he is down for right now for any game activity because of some right shoulder soreness," Torey Lovullo said. "He's going to be seen by our medical team and just continue to work through some conditioning behind the scenes as well as some shoulder strengthening and hopefully get him out there as soon as possible. We have to make sure we don't put him in harm's way."
That shoulder has been a nagging injury all season for Ramirez, who just hasn't performed even close to what he was producing in April before crashing into the left-field wall in foul ground and hurting the shoulder.
That shoulder fatigue is "hindering" his swing, according to Lovullo.
"If we go back to Chicago (Aug. 24-26) there were some pitches that he was just barely missing. I don't know if you guys remember that. He fouled some balls back. There was plenty of bat speed. But I think he felt like he was one click off and missing those pitches. And that was the reason why."
But since the shoulder injury is keeping him from playing, it must also be keeping him from getting much work done at first base - something Ramirez absolutely needs before the team (hesitantly, one would assume) puts him out at the new position.
"When the shoulder initially bothered him, he took a couple days off and then he was back out there yesterday taking ground balls pregame in New York," Lovullo said. "He's out there today. So it set him back a couple days. Still we have a good progression. And we have a really good infield instructor in Brian Butterfield who's going to drive the bus on that.
"And through my eyes and what I've seen, I see an infielder in that body still. I see a guy that uses his hands well, understands the concepts of getting in good position to field the ball. I think every time that I'm watching him I think it's something that he can handle."
But can he handle it this season? A full spring training didn't really prepare him much for the outfield. How can he learn yet another new position heading into the final month of the season? Lovullo thinks he may learn it quickly enough to give it a shot by the end.
"Based on the health component if that's put beside us I've seen enough to say that he can probably play first base before the year is over," Lovullo said. "Now I don't want to trap him by saying that. It's just my opinion from what I've seen. It will be a collective effort to make sure it's the right time."