Pablo Sandoval and Blake Swihart are out of the Boston Red Sox’s starting lineup Sunday, mere hours after suffering injuries in Saturday night’s 7-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Sandoval (left ankle sprain) and Swihart (left foot sprain) both exited the middle game of the Red Sox’s three-game series against the Royals, thus it’s unsurprising that neither is in manager John Farrell’s starting nine to begin Sunday afternoon’s series finale.
Brock Holt, who has started Boston’s last 15 games at various positions, will start at third base and bat second in Sandoval’s absence. Sandy Leon, meanwhile, will catch Wade Miley and bat ninth.
Rusney Castillo is not in the Red Sox’s starting lineup for the sixth time in seven games. Alejandro De Aza again will start in right field with a right-hander, Chris Young, on the mound.
The complete lineups for Sunday’s Red Sox-Royals matchup are below.
RED SOX (30-40)
Mookie Betts, CF
Brock Holt, 3B
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Hanley Ramirez, LF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Mike Napoli, 1B
Alejandro De Aza, RF
Sandy Leon, C
Wade Miley, LHP (6-6, 4.88 ERA)
ROYALS (39-26)
Alcides Escobar, SS
Lorenzo Cain, CF
Eric Hosmer, 1B
Kendrys Morales, DH
Alex Gordon, LF
Alex Rios, RF
Omar Infante, 2B
Christian Colon, 3B
Drew Butera, C
Chris Young, RHP (6-2, 1.98 ERA)
Thumbnail photo via Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports Images
