Option 2: Red Sox put Kiké Hernandez back in the outfield
Another option would be to move Kiké Hernández back to centerfield, where he provided stellar defense for the last two seasons. After the departure of Xander Bogaerts and the injury to Trevor Story, the Red Sox moved Hernández to shortstop this season.
Hernández has had some difficulty making this transition already making five errors in just eight games. Cora told Christopher Smith of Masslive.com that Hernández is "becoming very robotic out there".
Hernández's struggles are a small sample size, and there is a good chance that a player with his athletic ability can turn things around. However, the Red Sox could consider moving him back to centerfield to replace Duvall. Given that injured players like Trevor Story and Adalberto Mondesí are not close to returning, who would play shortstop if Hernández moves back to the outfield?
Bobby Dalbec will travel to Tampa this evening, per two industry sources. The Red Sox have not made any moves yet but he would be the one to replace Duvall if Duvall goes on the IL.
— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) April 9, 2023
Christopher Smith of Masslive.com tweeted after Sunday's game, that Bobby Dalbec would be traveling to St. Petersburg, where the team starts their next series on Monday. In six games for the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox this season, Dalbec is batting .300 with a 1.000 OPS. In the field, Dalbec has shown versatility playing 2 games each at first base, second base, and shortstop. He also played several games at shortstop during spring training this year.
If Hernández returns to the outfield to replace Duvall, the Red Sox might consider Dalbec at shortstop. One thing for certain is that the 6-foot-4, 227-pound Dalbec will stand out at shortstop. What remains to be seen is whether he can consistently play the position as he has only played there in three major league games during his time with the Red Sox. His inexperience may make this a less palatable option as the Red Sox try to replace Duvall.