So the Boston Red Sox might get Trevor Story back soon, and while fans should be happy about that (yes, I get it, but they need some stability at shortstop, especially after the Marcelo Mayer trade, as they aim to make a playoff run), this could cause a problem the team will need to solve.
The Red Sox have been rocking with Andruw Monasterio as their starting shortstop for a while. And while he's a bit questionable in the field, he's been really good at the plate... and I mean really good.
Since Jul. 1, the 29-year-old is batting .308 with a .879 OPS and has recorded three home runs and 24 RBIs in 120 at-bats across 35 games.
Monasterio has been one of Boston's best bats for nearly two months, and even with the impending return of Story, the team can't diminish his role too much (or maybe at all).
The Red Sox need to move Andruw Monasterio back to second base
Monasterio played a lot of second base during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers, and he has manned the position often during his first season with the Red Sox.
With Story expected to return soon (and most likely being the Red Sox' everyday shortstop, according to interim manager Chad Tracy, via Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe), it's time for the team to put Monasterio back at second base.
The Red Sox don't have a better option at the moment (no offense to Nick Sogard or Anthony Seigler, but it's the truth - and we're still weeks away from a potential Curtis Mead return, if it happens at all this season), and they can't afford to lose the Venezuelan native's bat.
Is he eventually going to come back down to earth? Maybe. But it would be ridiculous for Boston to not ride with the hot hand as much as possible, especially right now (the team is just 9-7 in August after a red-hot July, and they're looking to make a serious playoff run). The Red Sox at least need to see this through and give Monasterio as many opportunities to help the team as possible moving forward.
This entire season has been an up-and-down one for the Red Sox, but for the most part, they have been baseball's hottest team over the last two months. While Monasterio won't necessarily lead them to the promised land, he is already proving that he can at least play a role in them getting there.
Add us as a preferred source on Google