Red Sox: When will David Ortiz be back in the lineup?

The Boston Red Sox aren’t expected to use David Ortiz in the starting lineup during their three game series in San Diego this week.

One thing that we have been able to count on in every road trip this season is that members of Red Sox Nation spread out all over the country will come out to see David Ortiz for perhaps the last time in each city during his farewell tour. Unless you live in the San Diego area, in which case you may miss out.

Ortiz is unlikely to start in any of the three games against the Padres this week with the Red Sox visiting a National League park that lacks the benefit of the DH, manager John Farrell told reporters prior to the Labor Day matinee on Monday.

While the Red Sox will certainly miss his bat in the lineup, resting the 40-year old for a few days is a wise decision. There’s no reason to risk the health of their superstar slugger this late in the season by putting him in the field and asking him to do something he’s not accustomed to doing on a regular basis.

You know, like asking your All-Star pitcher to serve as a pinch-runner.

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The last time that Ortiz played first base was in Los Angeles last month against the Dodgers and he ended up leaving early due to soreness. In that same series, Farrell asked Steven Wright to pinch-run for Ortiz, who reached base on a walk in a pinch-hit appearance. Wright injured his shoulder diving back into second base, which landed him on the 15-day disabled list. The Knuckleballer was ineffective in his two starts since returning and now has been shutdown indefinitely, putting the rest of his season in doubt.

Risking Wright in that situation was perhaps the biggest blunder in a series of head-scratching mistakes made by the manager this season, but perhaps he’s learned his lesson as the Red Sox return to another NL park. This time he’s not taking any chances with Ortiz.

There’s still a solid chance that we’ll see Ortiz pinch-hit late in at least one of these games, so fans in San Diego still may have the opportunity to see Big Papi one last time. The expanded rosters make it that much easier to find a bench player that isn’t one of your top pitchers to replace Ortiz on the base paths if he were to reach. Unless of course he hits one over the fence, as nobody is taking Ortiz’s home run trot away from him. No matter how long it takes him to circle the bases.

Here’s what your Red Sox lineup looks like for Monday.

We can expect to find a similar lineup for the rest of the series without Ortiz. Sandy Leon will undoubtedly be inserted in place of Bryan Holaday for at least one of the other games in San Diego, but Farrell has liked the chemistry Holaday has shown with Drew Pomeranz, who faces the Padres this afternoon for the first time since being traded by them.

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The Red Sox also have Ryan Hanigan and the recently recalled Christian Vazquez vying for playing time. Juggling four catchers can be complicated, but it at least gives Farrell more options to pinch-hit for the weaker hitting catchers when Leon doesn’t start. You can easily imagine a scenario where Ortiz pinch-hits for Holday, then Vazquez takes over the following inning as a defensive replacement behind the plate.

Farrell also indicated that Yoan Moncada would start all three games of this series at third base, yet he still wants to find a way to get Travis Shaw some playing time. The manager suggested he may give him a shot in left field, having clearly forgotten the lesson learned last year that you can’t simply stick any infielder in left and expect them to adapt immediately. Shaw has had a total of six full innings of experience in left during his major league career, plus limited time in Pawtucket. I suppose if he’s going to test Shaw in left, might as well do it on the road where he doesn’t have to worry about playing in the shadow of the imposing Green Monster.

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Aside from perhaps a brief cameo during this series, Ortiz will get a well earned rest over the next few days to recharge for the stretch run. Expect the Red Sox designated hitter to return to being a fixture in the lineup when the team heads to Toronto to finish the road trip this weekend.