Alex Verdugo is making sure Ron Roenicke doesn’t forget about one of his strengths at the plate.
Verdugo, a left-handed bat, has experienced impressive success against lefties early in his Major League Baseball career. The 24-year-old outfielder posted a .327 batting average over 109 plate appearances against southpaws with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019, and he owns a .357 clip over 16 at-bats with the Red Sox this season.
It’s common practice for MLB managers to sit some of their left-handed bats whenever the opposing team trots out a lefty, but Verdugo frequently reminds Roenicke that the Boston skipper can feel comfortable keeping him in the lineup under those circumstances.
“I always mess around with that,” Verdugo told reports after the Red Sox’s win over the Rays on Wednesday. “When I’m not in there against a lefty, I’m like, ‘Hey, Ron, just so you know, man, I can hit ‘em.’ I think he knows it, too. I think he also knows when players are pressing. He’s doing his job, he’s doing what he has to do. I take a lot of pride against lefties.”
Roenicke plugged Verdugo into the lineup for the series finale at Tropicana Field with left-hander Ryan Yarbrough on the hill for Tampa Bay, and the decision paid dividends. Verdugo put the Red Sox on the board in the fourth inning with his first home run in a Boston uniform, a two-run shot to right field.
The Blue Jays have yet to determine a starter for Friday’s series opener at Fenway Park, but regardless of who gets the ball for Toronto, it probably would behoove Roenicke to keep Verdugo in the lineup.
