Boston Red Sox prospect Ryan Fitzgerald is doing everything he can to increase his odds of making the big-league roster.
The 27-year-old utility man has been red hot since spring training, where he hit .313 with four home runs and nine RBIs in just 20 plate appearances. Since then, he’s been a major contributor for Triple-A Worcester, hitting .291 with eight home runs with 24 RBIs and a .998 OPS.
Fitzgerald has been a master of versatility in Worcester, playing all over the diamond in his 29 games. He’s made 10 appearances at right field, eight at third base, six at second base, four in left field and one at both shortstop and center field.
Now, he’s looking to add first base to his arsenal, an area of need for the Red Sox.
“Fitzgerald asked Tracy if he could start taking grounders at the position and both the manager and farm director Brian Abraham are on board with the idea,” MassLive’s Chris Cotillo wrote Thursday.
He’ll have to battle the Red Sox No. 2 prospect Triston Casas for playing time, but he’ll get plenty of work in-between games.
Boston could give Fitzgerald a shot to increase the production at first base, without speeding up Casas’s development, something Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom is openly against. Fitzgerald is also a super utility man, which has baked in value even if he does not get an opportunity to displace Bobby Dalbec.
