Shane Victorino expects to start for Boston Red Sox

Keeping his opinions to himself has never been a strength for Shane Victorino and the rehabbing outfielder has made it clear that expects to start in right field for the Boston Red Sox in April. Victorino was limited to just 30 games in 2014 and told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford that he’ll swing a bat on Monday for the first time since back surgery.

The eleven year veteran is confident that he’ll be at 100% in time for Spring Training.

"If you think there’s somebody better in right, be my guest. Obviously health will dictate that. But if I’m healthy if there’s a better outfielder in right field then show me and go out there and do it. I’m not saying that in a cocky or arrogant way. It’s just how confident I am to know I should be the starting right fielder. There are things to come into play and things to discuss. I plan on being healthy and out there and ready to go."

Victorino, who will turn 34 on Sunday, is entering the final year of a three year, $39 million deal that he signed with Boston prior to the 2013 season.  That first year he was among the best outfielders in baseball, batting .294/.351/.451 in 532 plate appearances while winning a Gold Glove as Boston won the World Series.

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A hamstring concern delayed Victorino’s season debut to late April. His back flared up by the end of May, shutting him down for the next six weeks. Following a brief rehab stint at Triple-A he came back to appear in eight games in late July before his season came to a quick end. He saw just 133 plate appearances on the season, hitting .268/.303/.382.

Boston currently has an abundance of outfielders on their 40-man roster, lending speculation to the belief that at least one will likely be traded in the coming weeks. Victorino’s name has come up in some of that speculation, particularly given that he has just one year remaining on his contract. As a veteran option who can get on base and provide reliable defense, he’ll likely continue to draw some interest. A question will be his health, of course, but teams won’t be able to get a true sense for how he looks until Spring Training begins.