After their December trade with the Atlanta Braves, reporters and experts heaped praise onto the Boston Red Sox's then-new addition, Vaughn Grissom.
Boston hasn't seen much offense from the second baseman, though. Grissom was sidelined for the entirety of spring training with a groin issue, then a bout of the flu delayed his Red Sox debut even further. The 23-year-old got just nine games in Triple-A before he began his Red Sox career, and it's showing in his stats.
Grissom is batting .136/.164/.153 with a .317 OPS since his May 3 debut. He's come through for the Sox a few times in the form of three RBI and five runs, but the young infielder has little to show for his 61 plate appearances so far. The Red Sox will continue to play Grissom despite his slow offensive start.
On the other hand, Grissom's defense has been a definite step up. He's made some nifty plays alongside Ceddanne Rafaela in the middle infield and he's made fewer mistakes than Enmanuel Valdez did in his position.
Red Sox will continue to play Vaughn Grissom through offensive slump
A line shot from Vaughn Grissom gets us on the board. pic.twitter.com/dF68FhrrGa
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 21, 2024
Many Red Sox fans are frustrated with Grissom's low offensive production, but they need to be reminded that he's 23 years old, he didn't get a spring training and is learning a new position. Benching him in favor of another player with equally poor plate presence would be the worst way to reverse his slump.
Grissom is a proven hitter, but adjustments take time. He finished three of his four years in the minor leagues with a batting average over .300 and an OPS over .880. He slashed .291/.353/.440 with the Braves in 41 games in 2022 — the hits will come.
The Red Sox's confidence in Grissom hasn't wavered through his slow start, and it shouldn't. The infielder still has three-quarters of the season to set his bat right.