It wasn’t broke Friday night, so the Boston Red Sox aren’t fixing it. Well, maybe just a little.
David Ortiz will be back in the lineup as the designated hitter batting fourth when the Red Sox take on the Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park on Saturday afternoon. Ortiz and Pablo Sandoval both sat out Friday’s series opener — a 4-2 Red Sox win — and Sandoval will take a seat again, as Brock Holt gets the start at third base batting second.
Ortiz’s return means Hanley Ramirez will be back in left field after filling the DH spot Friday night. Yet manager John Farrell has elected to keep newcomer Alejandro De Aza — who went 1-for-3 in his Red Sox debut Friday — in the linuep, moving him to right field to replace Rusney Castillo.
Blake Swihart will bat ninth and catch for starter Joe Kelly, who is seeking his first win since early April.
Check out the lineups below.
RED SOX (25-31)
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Brock Holt, 3B
Hanley Ramirez, LF
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Mookie Betts, CF
Alejandro De Aza, RF
Blake Swihart, C
Joe Kelly (1-4, 5.83)
ATHLETICS (23-34)
Billy Burns, CF
Ben Zobrist, LF
Stephen Vogt, C
Billy Butler, DH
Josh Reddick, RF
Marcus Semien, SS
Max Muncy, 3B
Mark Canha, 1B
Eric Sogard, 2B
Jesse Chavez, RHP (2-5, 2.11)
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
