Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox's Alex Cora Deploys New Shortstop In Effort To Get Rookie More Reps

Regardless of the reason, it makes sense to start over up the middle

Scott Neville

Apr 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (43) bats
Apr 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (43) bats / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
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The Boston Red Sox are off to an odd start to the season, filled with breakout campaigns but hampered by a litany of injuries across the diamond.

One of the areas most severely plagued by injuries has been the middle infield with shortstop Trevor Story out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery and second baseman Vaughn Grissom yet to make his Red Sox debut after a pair of spring training ailments to his hamstring and groin.

The Red Sox had been leaning on David Hamilton, Pablo Reyes and Enmanuel Valdez up the middle but have ushered a new name into the conversation: versatile rookie Ceddanne Rafaela.

The 23-year-old is known for his defensive prowess in center field but many scouts at the minor league level believed he was also capable of developing into a near-Gold Glove caliber middle infielder as well.

While the long-term plan remains to keep Rafaela in the outfield, he could be the solution to the Red Sox's shortstop deficiencies this season. Rafaela started at shortstop on Marathon Monday against the Cleveland Guardians but manager Alex Cora had a unique reason for the switch... one that didn't have much to do with Rafaela or the shortstop position at all.

"Alex Cora said Rafaela at shortstop is more about making sure Wilyer Abreu plays than prioritizing Rafaela at shortstop," WEEI's Rob Bradford reported Monday. "Says Abreu will play every game against righties. Also says (Rob) Refsnyder (is) going to be reintroduced to first base."

Regardless of the reason, the more Rafaela plays at shortstop the better. The team's defensive woes were not going to be solved by getting the aformentioned trio settled in, there needed to be a material change.

With Grissom already playing rehab games at Triple-A Worcester, a revamped middle infield of Rafaela at shortstop and Grissom at second base could inspire hope for a team that could not get out of its own way post-Story injury.

The Red Sox have plenty of outfield depth to move Rafaela to the dirt and should continue to lean into this temporary position change. It won't be perfect but he's the best option they have.

More MLB: Red Sox Star Reportedly Will Avoid Injured List Stint Despite Speculation

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Scott Neville
SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer.  His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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