The Boston Pink Sox have battled vital accidents this season, particularly on offense. Alex Bregman, Masataka Yoshida, Marcelo Mayer, Wilyer Abreu and Triston Casas have all missed appreciable time, inflicting Alex Cora to tinker along with his lineup on a nightly foundation.
The fixed roster shuffling has led to a number of gamers studying new positions or returning to previous ones, together with two of the workforce’s finest gamers.
Regardless of being probably the greatest defensive middle fielders in baseball, Ceddanne Rafaela has been enjoying extra second base since Mayer went on the injured listing with a sprained proper wrist. He’s performed 14 of his final 20 video games there, together with the final 5 in a row.
Whereas Rafaela got here up as an infielder and has performed second base (and shortstop) earlier than, he’s getting used to it once more after spending the primary half of the season within the outfield.
“The extra I play, the extra comfy I get,” Rafaela advised The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey. “At first, it wasn’t simple as a result of this spring I didn’t contact an infield glove till I performed second midway by means of the 12 months. However the extra video games I’m beginning to get this 12 months at second underneath my belt, it’s serving to construct my confidence.”
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“His instincts are off the charts,” Cora advised McCaffrey. “It’s a pleasure watching him play protection at middle, at second, at quick. He’s that good.”
With Rafaela shifting to second, Jarren Duran has slid again to middle discipline, the place he spent most of his first 4 seasons. Duran moved to left discipline to accommodate Rafaela final 12 months, nevertheless, and has spent most of his time in left this season.
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The transfer has labored nicely for Duran, who was a Gold Glove finalist in middle final 12 months and prefers enjoying there in comparison with left, particularly at Fenway Park.
“I’m not going to say it’s simple as a result of nowhere is simple,” Duran mentioned by way of McCaffrey. “Nevertheless it’s slightly simpler to see the ball off the bat in middle discipline than it’s for me in a nook, particularly at Fenway, the place I’m the closest left discipline to the hitter within the league.”
On the finish of the day, each gamers are keen to do no matter they’ll to assist the workforce win, particularly with Mayer nonetheless sidelined and the playoffs in sight.
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“I simply play no matter they want me,” Rafaela advised The Athletic. “I’m open. I actually simply need to win.”
