When the Boston Red Sox signed Justin Turner this offseason, he was the logical replacement at designated hitter with J.D. Martinez departing.
While that will be the 38-year-old’s main role this season, it won’t be the only way the Red Sox plan to utilize the longtime veteran.
It’s expected Turner will play some third base — his primary position during his 14-year major league career — whenever the Red Sox want to give star Rafael Devers some rest, but Turner surprisingly will also see time at the other corner infield spot.
Turner, who hasn’t played a game at first base since 2016, took grounders at the position Thursday during the early portion of Spring Training.
“It’s just reps and getting out there in the game,” Turner told reporters Thursday, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “You can take a million ground balls, but you know, as soon as you get out there in the game there’s probably going to be something that happens that you haven’t experienced. So I have played a little bit and I mean, when I say a little bit I mean a little bit.”
Turner’s right. He hasn’t played much first base in his career. He has only started 25 games in his career at that spot.
Turner won’t be called upon to play the position often with Triston Casas presumably being the everyday starter and with the highly touted rookie setting a goal to be consistently on the field.
But when it does come time for Turner to fill in for Casas, he believes he’ll be ready despite his inexperience at first base.
“I feel like I’m a baseball player,” Turner said, per Smith. “I feel like I can adapt and I know everything that first baseman is supposed to do, where they’re supposed to go. So hopefully, it’ll be a quick and easy transition.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora already knows what situations he’ll want to have Turner at first base over Casas.
“We’ll protect Triston from certain lefties. We’ll protect him from the workload,” Cora told reporters, per Smith. “Let’s be realistic. He (Casas) hasn’t been able to be on the field that often, especially last year.”
