The 2014 season was looking like a lost one for Xander Bogaerts, but he’s making a push to end the season on a high note.
Bogaerts will hit second and play shortstop Sunday as the Boston Red Sox look to win a four-game series with the Kansas City Royals.
The 21-year-old has struggled for much of the year, but he’s turned it on in the final month. Since Aug. 31, Bogaerts is hitting .351 with a .969 OPS. That inludes three home runs and seven RBIs, too. He comes in riding a seven-game hititng streak.
Perhaps most importantly, Bogaerts is starting to use the whole field again and is showing pop to all three fields.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, Mike Napoli will sit out again after returning to the lineup on Saturday. The first baseman has very good career numbers against Kansas City starter Jason Vargas (.375, four home runs, six RBIs), but Napoli has been battling nagging injuries for much of the season.
Mookie Betts is back at second base and hitting leadoff for the finale.
See the lineups for both clubs below.
Red Sox (65-84)
Mookie Betts, 2B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
David Ortiz, DH
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
Allen Craig, 1B
Daniel Nava, RF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
David Ross, C
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Joe Kelly, P
Royals (81-66)
Alcides Escobar, SS
Nori Aoki, DH
Lorenzo Cain, RF
Alex Gordon, LF
Salvador Perez, C
Eric Hosmer, 1B
Omar Infante, 2B
Mike Moustakas, 3B
Jarrod Dyson, CF
Jason Vargas, P
