Here are some thoughts based on the Red Sox' Wednesday lineup prior to them taking the field.
Brock Holt isn't going anywhere
Technically we knew this before the lineup was announced. John Farrell spoke about Holt on WEEI earlier Wednesday, one day after Holt hit for the cycle. He made it clear that Holt will be a lineup fixture for the Sox, regardless of where he takes the field.
“Brock’s going to get regular at-bats, if not everyday at-bats,” Farrell said. “And particularly in the American League with our DH slot, he gives us such flexibility to rest guys, and under the current alignment with David being our everyday DH, it really allows us to spell other guys more frequently.”
Holt has started the last 11 games (tonight will be 12) for the Sox and has reached base via hit or walk in all of them, posting a .390 AVG/.490 OBP/.610 SLG in line in that span. He's also reached base twice in 9 of those 11 games.
For the year, he's batting .309 and has had success regardless of a righty (.305) or lefty (.324) on the mound.
Holt is in right field Wednesday night, one day after starting at second base. Last week he started at first base, giving him starts at every position aside from pitcher and catcher for the second straight season.
But Holt will get most of his playing time in right field, where he's clearly the team's best option out there right now. Rusney Castillo has yet to break through (he's batting just .232) and Shane Victorino can't stay on the field. It'll be interesting to see what happens when Victorino is healthy, because Holt has earned the time out there. And it'll be even more interesting to see what happens to Castillo, who could perhaps be sent back down if Victorino is good to go.
“I see the range in which he covers the ground in right field," Farrell said of Holt, "and because we’ve had such a high number of players in the lineup at that position, you can say right now that right field is our most pressing need for Brock Holt."
Bogey in the 3-hole
First thought: Love it. Second thought: It won't last, but someday.
I can only pray that the days of Xander Bogaerts hitting anywhere from 7-9 in the order are gone. But where's the best spot for him? The Sox have a few hitters more than capable of hitting in the top two spots in Dustin Pedroia, Holt, and Mookie Betts. David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez are going to hold down those middle spots in the order.
But Bogaerts should have a firm grip on at least the fifth spot, and based on who sits in a given game (Ortiz tonight) can hit anywhere from 2 through 5. He's up to .293 on the season and is the team's best hitter with runners in scoring position, coming in at .360. Since May 15, he's hitting .458 with RISP.
Facts are facts: Bogaerts is playing like the best shortstop in the American League.
Tip of the cap to Pedroia and Ramirez
We already know Pedroia is a gamer and will play through most injuries as long as that injured body part is still connected. It's no surprise that he's in tonight's lineup after missing a game with some knee swelling.
Ramirez has been criticized all season for not appearing to try hard enough out on the field. But you have to give him this: He's trying to play as much as possible. Whether it was the crash into the wall, the foul ball off the knee, or the mid-back injury suffered a couple games ago, Ramirez wants to be in there.
He's said earlier this season that he's had a problem staying on the field the last few years, and is determined that that isn't the case this season and going forward. So far he's kept to his word.
Kelly at the bat
We get to watch pitchers hit tonight, which means Joe Kelly will get to take a few hacks up there.
Kelly at least has some experience at the plate having come from the St. Louis Cardinals last season. Over his career, he's batting .171 (14-for-82), which actually puts him right on par with most of the Sox offense this season . . .
He was 4-for-16 last season, including 2-for-4 for the Sox. He hasn't had an RBI since 2013, though.
