Boston Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Makes Changes to Lineup as Result of Poor Defense

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is making changes to the team's lineup based on the team's poor defense this season.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is making changes to the team's lineup based on the team's poor defense this season.

After another multi-error game on Monday that helped cost the Sox a game against the Colorado Rockies, Cora spoke to the media on Tuesday about the changes coming.

Per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe on Twitter:

Alex Cora says Kiké Hernández will play less SS, primarily playing CF and 2B moving forward. He’ll still be an option in late games at SS, if Sox PH for Pablo Reyes.

Alex Cora says Kiké Hernández will play less SS, primarily playing CF and 2B moving forward. He’ll still be an option in late games at SS, if Sox PH for Pablo Reyes.

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) June 13, 2023

So this is interesting for multiple reasons: Hernandez took over shortstop in the wake of Xander Bogaerts leaving in free agency and Trevor Story being out with injury. If he's set to play more outfield, the question becomes, 'just how much will he actually play?' The team already has a glut of outfielders with Jarren Duran, Masataka Yoshida, Adam Duvall, Alex Verdugo and Rob Refsnyder.

At second base, the team values Christian Arroyo and also has Yu Chang set to come back soon, though Chang figures to play more shortstop. If Hernandez is mostly blocked at both positions, does he become a trade piece? We'll have to wait and see.

Speier also had this note, on another defensive change the Sox are making:

Cora says tonight the Sox are using their best defensive alignment, which includes Turner at 1B. Cora says Casas needs to be better at 1B. “When he came up last year, we thought he was going to be a great defender…We’ll keep working with him.”

Cora says tonight the Sox are using their best defensive alignment, which includes Turner at 1B. Cora says Casas needs to be better at 1B. “When he came up last year, we thought he was going to be a great defender…We’ll keep working with him.”

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) June 13, 2023

So with Triston Casas seeing more time at designated hitter and Turner going to first, that's something to monitor as well.

The Red Sox play the Rockies again on Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. Hernandez is out of the lineup entirely with Arroyo starting at second and Duvall/Verdugo/Yoshida in the outfield.

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