BOSTON — It turns out David Ortiz won’t miss any time with the Red Sox after all.
The designated hitter left Wednesday’s 9-4 loss to the New York Yankees in the ninth inning after fouling a 99-mph fastball off his shin. The X-rays came back negative that night, and Ortiz texted Red Sox manager John Farrell on Thursday morning that he’d be good to go for the series finale.
“Right now you’ve got to bring to the table everything you’ve got,” Ortiz said before Thursday night’s game at Fenway Park. “I know I’m a big person in the lineup, and you guys know me: If I can go, I go.”
Mookie Betts, on the other hand, will receive a full day of treatment Thursday after leaving Wednesday’s game with right calf tightness. Ortiz will bat third as a result, and Brock Holt will start in right field in Betts’ place and bat seventh.
Eduardo Rodriguez will start on the mound for the Red Sox after Steven Wright was scratched with shoulder inflammation. After struggling mightily to start the season, the left-hander sports a 3.18 ERA in five starts since returning to Boston from Triple-A Pawtucket.
Rodriguez also happens to be 4-1 with a 2.01 ERA in five starts against the Yankees, who have decided to start rapidly retiring slugger Alex Rodriguez on Thursday night for the only time in the series. A-Rod pinch-hit Wednesday night amid a chorus of boos from the Fenway faithful, and his final game as a Yankee will come Friday night back in the Bronx.
Here are Thursday night’s lineups.
RED SOX (61-51)
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Xander Bogaerts, SS
David Ortiz, DH
Hanley Ramirez, 1B
Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
Travis Shaw, 3B
Brock Holt, RF
Sandy Leon, C
Andrew Benintendi, LF
Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP (2-5, 5.93 ERA)
YANKEES (57-56)
Brett Gardner, LF
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Chase Headley, 3B
Alex Rodriguez, DH
Starlin Castro, 2B
Didi Gregorius, SS
Gary Sanchez, C
Austin Romine, 1B
Aaron Hicks, RF
Michael Pineda RHP (6-10, 5.17 ERA)
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
