Boston Red Sox: David Ortiz to Start Remaining Games
By Kit Anderson
As David Ortiz’s career nears its conclusion, the Boston Red Sox plan to start him in the lineup every day through the end of the regular season.
David Ortiz‘s career is winding down with only a couple of weeks left in the regular season. With that in mind the Boston Red Sox announced that Ortiz will start the remaining games this season, barring injury or any other odd circumstances.
Resting Ortiz periodically throughout the season is finally paying off for the Red Sox as they will be able to start him for most of the remaining games. Ortiz is a 40-year-old player who is enjoying one of the best seasons he has had in recent memory. He has been one of the Red Sox’s best hitters this season and has been a difference maker when he is in what is an already very stout lineup.
Ortiz has hit .317 so far this season with over 30 homers and more than 100 runs driven in. That is a great season for any player much less a 40-year-old with two weeks left to pile up more stats that he inevitably will in the Red Sox’s stacked lineup.
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Having Ortiz in the lineup every night will be a big boost as well to the Red Sox’s postseason hopes. Their pitching has been sub-par this season and they have often had to rely on their lineup to bail out poor pitching.
While adding Ortiz to the lineup on a nightly basis isn’t a fix-all it certainly will help boost their chances. The only downside to this is that Ortiz has been resting much of the season and might not be used to the grind of playing every day.
If it wears on him down the stretch and makes him less sharp come postseason time then it would not be worth the risk. No doubt Red Sox manager John Farrell will closely monitor the situation and make sure that Ortiz is rested and ready for postseason.
The Red Sox have a solid hold on the division right now and have a good chance of finishing out the season with the lead in the American League East. There are currently four AL East teams still looking for a postseason berth. The Orioles look to be the Red Sox’s biggest division competitors at this point in the season as the Yankees are sitting five games out and the Blue Jays seem to be fading down the stretch.
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With lots of factors playing into who will eventually win the division, Red Sox fans are likely wondering if David Ortiz starting the rest of the way could be the deciding factor in determining which team claims the AL East division title? The Red Sox continue their series with the Yankees tonight.