The Boston Red Sox took the "abundance of caution" route with Xander Bogaerts, and it appears everyone involved is better for it.
Bogaerts was shut down early in spring training due to shoulder soreness, which came as the result of his offseason throwing program in Aruba. He since has served as the designated hitter in Grapefruit League action, and has indicated that he plans to be ready for the Sox's April 1 Opening Day against the Baltimore Orioles.
His upcoming workload suggests he should be fine.
"He's playing shortstop -- he's DH'ing (Tuesday), playing shortstop (Wednesday)," Sox manager Alex Cora said Tuesday morning. "He will go through all the drills today defensively -- he's in a good spot."
Obviously, it'll be important to see how Bogaerts' shoulder responds to game action at shortstop. But for now, things appear to be heading in the right direction for the Red Sox star.
Last season, Bogaerts hit .300 with 11 homers across 56 games.
