BOSTON — Don’t get used to seeing David Ortiz at first base.
While Red Sox manager John Farrell decided to let loose with Sunday’s lineup card, which featured Ortiz at first base and Mike Napoli on the bench, the arrangement likely won’t be a common occurrence.
It’s a rational lineup, sure. And it gives Boston a productive starting nine. But the situation — Napoli’s absence and Ortiz’s insertion into the defensive plans — requires context. It’s not a knee-jerk decision, nor is it one that’s viewed as a potential long-term solution to Napoli’s dismal season.
“I don’t know how frequently we would see this moving forward,” Farrell said before Sunday’s game against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park. “ … (Monday) with an off-day, this was kind of an ideal set of circumstances to get (Ortiz) to first base.”
The overriding circumstance, of course, is Napoli’s struggles, because without the first baseman’s prolonged offensive woes, Farrell wouldn’t even consider Sunday’s move. Nor would he need to.
One could argue the Red Sox should think about using Ortiz at first base with some regularity — perhaps use Ortiz at first base versus right-handers and Napoli at first base versus left-handers — because, after all, it puts the most productive nine players in the lineup. It also keeps Hanley Ramirez, who served as the designated hitter Sunday, out of left field, where he’s been atrocious this season.
It’s just a scenario that’s hard to envision over the long haul.
“Today’s lineup I think gives us the best lineup we can put on the field,” Farrell acknowledged Sunday. “I recognize that it’s been quite some time since David’s played first base in an American League game. (But it) also gives us the ability to have (Alejandro) De Aza in left field.
“It’s about putting the best lineup on the field today.”
The “best lineup” right now doesn’t include Napoli, who’s hitting .192 with a .294 on-base percentage and 78 strikeouts in 76 games in addition to taking a step back defensively. But it’s also unreasonable to think Ortiz, whose start at first base Sunday was his first in a non-interleague game since 2006, will be receptive to frequent exposure in the field.
As sensible as the whole concept might be — take an unproductive player out of the lineup and replace him with someone playing well — the plan needs to be executed more than once before we, as observers, can expect to consistently see similar deployments. Plus, the Sox aren’t giving up on Napoli just yet.
“He’s obviously in a stretch right now where he’s grinding through some things,” Farrell said of Napoli. “You’re seeing him work counts, you’re seeing him go early in the count. Hard contact has been inconsistent. I think there’s been times where he’s looked for a certain pitch in a count and not gotten it, and it has resulted in a located pitch by a pitcher.
“He fully recognizes where he’s at and continues to work at getting this thing turned around. But felt like (Sunday) was a day to give him a little bit of a breather with (Monday) being the off-day — a couple of days to regroup.”
A couple of days to regroup. That’s exactly what Sunday’s lineup change represents for Napoli, whom the Red Sox need to perform better moving forward. After that, it’s anyone’s guess as to how long a leash he’ll be afforded before Boston considers a more drastic change. But Ortiz’s first base cameos could be few and far between, as any major fix probably won’t involve him straying too far from his DH post.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
