BOSTON — The Red Sox shuffled their starting lineup less than two hours before first pitch Monday night.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts and third baseman Will Middlebrooks, both of whom were in the originally announced lineup for the opener of a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays, were removed and replaced by Jemile Weeks and Garin Cecchini, respectively.
UPDATE (6:41 p.m.): The Red Sox announced that Bogaerts’ scratch was due to neck stiffness, and Middlebrooks’ was due to a right hand sprain. Both are considered day to day.
Weeks will hit in the No. 2 spot, and Cecchini will bat seventh. Both made an impact in Sunday’s win over the Baltimore Orioles, going a combined 3-for-6 with two walks and a run scored.
Brock Holt and Mike Napoli also will not start against the Rays as both continue to nurse injuries. Both likely will not be available in this series but could play this weekend when the New York Yankees come to town, manager John Farrell said before the game.
Rusney Castillo will make his Fenway Park debut, starting in center field and batting sixth against Rays starter Alex Cobb.
See the full lineups for both teams below.
Boston Red Sox (68-88)
Mookie Betts, 2B
Jemile Weeks, SS
David Ortiz, DH
Yoenis Cespedes, LF
Daniel Nava, 1B
Rusney Castillo, CF
Garin Cecchini, 3B
Christian Vazquez, C
Jackie Bradley Jr., RF
Clay Buchholz, RHPÂ (8-9, 5.29Â ERA)
Tampa Bay Rays (75-81)
Ben Zobrist, CF
David DeJesus, DH
Evan Longoria, 3B
James Loney, 1B
Wil Myers, RF
Nick Franklin, 2B
Matt Joyce, LF
Yunel Escobar, SS
Ryan Hanigan, C
Alex Cobb, RHPÂ (9-8, 2.82Â ERA)
