How Red Sox’s Justin Turner Feels About More Playing Time At First Base
In an effort to solve the defensive woes of the Boston Red Sox, manager Alex Cora is shaking things up in the field.
The result is Kiké Hernández won’t be the everyday shortstop anymore and rookie Triston Casas will see reduced time at first base.
Veteran Justin Turner, who has primarily been the designated hitter during his first season with the Red Sox, will take some playing time away from Casas at first base. This is Turner’s first season starting games at the corner infield spot since 2015 when he was with the Dodgers, but he has no issues grabbing the first baseman’s mitt and heading into the field on a more regular basis.
“Come here everyday and ready to do whatever Alex wants me to do,” Turner told reporters after Boston’s second straight 10-inning loss to the Colorado Rockies at Fenway Park, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “If that’s at first base, if that’s at DH, if it’s playing third to give Raffy (Devers) an off day, whatever he wants me to do.”
Turner has already started 16 games at first this season, boasting a .992 fielding percentage. His only error while playing there came in Tuesday’s defeat. Comparatively, Casas has committed three errors on the campaign, including a costly miscue in the series opener against the Rockies.
The Red Sox sure aren’t giving up on Casas as an everyday first baseman even as they prioritize defense. They are hoping they can help him develop defensively while taking a little off his plate and handing it over to the reliable Turner.
Casas will be back at first base for the series finale against the Rockies while Turner continues to his his flexibility by heading across the diamond and manning the hot corner with Devers getting the night off. First pitch from Fenway is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.
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