The young man infielder Christian Arroyo got his first taste of outfield (right) action in the spring today, running right field for the Boston Red Sox. Manager Alex Cora he was apparently pleased. Arroyo has played all four infield positions in his career, but never on grass.
However, the recent hiring of Trevor Story by Boston has reduced his likelihood of seeing significant playing time on the ground, forcing him to try to expand his defensive repertoire:
Puerto Rican Enrique Hernández and Alex Verdugo seem to be a fixture in the outfield combination, leaving a spot up for grabs. JD Martinez will continue to be the club’s main designated hitter, but he will apparently see more time on the field this year.
Outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is also in attendance, though he’s coming off a terrible season with Milwaukee, posting a wRC+ of just 35, the lowest in the league among hitters with at least 200 plate appearances.
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Jarren Duran was thought to be in the mix, despite a lackluster performance in his MLB debut last year, but the club announced today that he has been optioned to Triple-A. Taking all of that into consideration, there is a way for Arroyo to gain some playing time, should he adapt well to the defensive switch. In 57 games with the Red Sox last year, he hit .262/.324/.445 for a 106 wRC+.
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MLB: After arrival of Trevor Story, Red Sox infielder learns to play in the outfield