Red Sox Rookie Gold Glove Candidate Playing New Position In Crucial Orioles Tilt

The 23-year-old will do whatever he can to help the ballclub...

Sep 20, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of Boston Red Sox hats and gloves at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox's defense has been a problem all season, and the second base position has been at the forefront of the issue.

Injuries threw the entire Red Sox middle infield out of whack right from the jump. Trade acquisition Vaughn Grissom, who Boston hoped would take over the second base gig, got injured in spring training. Then, shortstop Trevor Story's devastating shoulder injury threw everything out of whack.

Since then, the Red Sox have shuffled through second basemen and shortstops like a magician who's forgotten the secret to their card trick. But now that Story is back, theoretically providing stability to the shortstop role on defense, another issue has come up.

Rookie defensive star Ceddanne Rafaela, who has wowed fans this season with his spectacular highlights at both shortstop and in center field, can no longer fulfill his double duties with Story back in the fold.

That's why Wednesday, in Boston's series finale against the Baltimore Orioles, Rafaela has a new mission.

Rafaela will be starting at second base for the first time all season, and just the second time in his brief big-league career. In fact, he hasn't played more than 10 games at the position since 2019, in rookie ball with the rookie-ball Gulf Coast League Red Sox.

Rafaela's value to the Red Sox all season has been his versatility, and now he'll be out to prove it again. Second base, though easier than shortstop at times because of the shortened throw distance, requires a fielder to know different angles and footwork than Rafaela has been tested on this year.

Some will bristle at the notion of Rafaela as a Gold Glove candidate due to his unfavorable defensive metrics at shortstop early in the season. But he's the quintessential player MLB invented the utility Gold Glove award for in 2022--a jack of all trades who helps his team by fitting into different positions.

For much of the season, that meant playing shortstop when he appeared better suited for center field. Now, he'll slide over to second, even if he's better suited for both of the other spots.

More MLB: Yankees Cy Young Winner Gives Two-Word Confession About Red Sox Slugger