There’s plenty of rain in the forecast, but if the Boston Red Sox do play Monday night, Pablo Sandoval will rejoin them.
The Red Sox third baseman is back in the lineup and hitting seventh as Boston opens a two-game set with the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park, weather permitting. The forecast calls for thunderstorms into Tuesday night.
Regardless, having Sandoval penciled back into the lineup is a good thing after he missed Sunday’s series finale in Kansas City. Sandoval left Saturday’s game against the Royals with a left ankle sprain, but apparently he’s good to go. The same can’t be said for catcher Blake Swihart, who is out again after suffering a foot injury in that Saturday night game, too.
Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli isn’t hurt, but he has been struggling. The Boston offense has heated up in June, but Napoli hasn’t. He’s hitting just .190 with a .585 OPS this month and has been dropped all the way to eighth Tuesday night.
This is the first time Napoli’s hit eighth this season, but the veteran isn’t unfamiliar to the No. 8 spot in the lineup. Napoli’s actually hit out of the eighth spot more times than any other spot in his career (most of those at-bats coming with the Rangers and Angels). His .266 batting average and .898 OPS from the eight-hole are the best marks for his career.
Joe Kelly will take the ball for the Red Sox, and Ubaldo Jimenez gets the start for Baltimore.
Here are the lineups for both clubs.
Red Sox (31-40)
Mookie Betts, CF
Brock Holt, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Hanley Ramirez, LF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
Pablo Sandoval, 3B
Mike Napoli, 1B
Sandy Leon, C
Joe Kelly, RHP (2-4, 5.32)
Orioles (36-33)
Manny Machado, 3B
Jimmy Paredes, DH
Chris Parmelee, RF
Matt Wieters, C
Chris Davis, 1B
Travis Snider, LF
J.J. Hardy, SS
Ryan Flaherty, 2B
David Lough, CF
Ubadlo Jimenez, RHP (5-3, 3.27 ERA)
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
