Jackie Bradley Jr.’s offensive woes have yet to cease, but he’ll get at least one night to regroup.
The Boston Red Sox’s usual center fielder is not in the lineup for the series opener of a three-game set against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park on Friday.
Bradley is hitting a meager .181 this season, amassing just eight hits in 60 at-bats this month. As a result Blake Swihart will be in the lineup, hitting in the ninth spot as the designated hitter. Andrew Benintenidi will slide into left field and J.D. Martinez will play left.
Friday’s contest never was poised to be a cakewalk against one of the American League’s best teams, but Boston will have its work cut out against southpaw Wade LeBlanc. In the 33-year-old’s last outing, which came against the Red Sox, he allowed no runs on two hits over 7 2/3 innings, at one point retiring 22 consecutive batters.
The Red Sox will counter with knuckleballer Steven Wright, who has allowed just one run on 11 hits over 20 2/3 innings combined in his three starts this season.
Here are the lineups for both teams:
RED SOX (50-26)
Mookie Betts RF
Andrew Benintendi CF
J.D. Martinez LF
Mitch Moreland 1B
Xander Bogaerts SS
Brock Holt 2B
Rafael Devers 3B
Christian Vazquez C
Blake Swihart DH
Steven Wright, RHP (2-1, 1.23 ERA)
MARINERS (46-29)
Dee Gordon, 2B
Mitch Haniger, RF
Denard Span, LF
Nelson Cruz, DH
Kyle Seager, 3B
Ryon Healy, 1B
Mike Zunino, C
Guillermo Heredia, CF
Austin Romine, SS
Wade LeBlanc, LHP (3-0, 2.63)
