Mookie Betts Gets Work At Second Base During Red Sox' Fenway Workout
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Boston Red Sox are in the World Series, and that may mean that manager Alex Cora has to move his Gold Glove right fielder and potential American League MVP to a new position.
With Games 3-5 set to take place in Dodger Stadium, Cora's going to have to get creative in order to keep J.D. Martinez in the lineup. That process may involve using Mookie Betts at second base.
And on Sunday at Fenway Park, during the team's workout, Betts was getting in some work at second base, where he played primarily in the minors before becoming an outfielder in 2014.
Specifically he was working on turning double plays, and he was getting some pointers from veteran second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Betts played at second base in one game this year on Aug. 3, a game from which Cora had been ejected prior to Betts' position slide.
Betts, who has won Gold Glove Awards in right field in 2016 and 2017, is hitting just .205 with a .578 OPS this season, with three doubles, but he has scored eight runs.
Martinez, who played 57 games in the field and 93 games at DH this regular season, is hitting .313 with a .946 OPS, two home runs and nine RBIs this postseason. He belted a solo homer off Justin Verlander in Game 5 of the ALCS to break a scoreless tie.
Inserting Martinez into the outfield for Games 3-5 would likely lead to ALCS MVP Jackie Bradley Jr. starting on the bench.
The Red Sox have gotten starts at second base this postseason from Brock Holt and Ian Kinsler. Holt went 1-for-9 during the ALCS, while Kinsler batted 2-for-11.
Prior to the appearance on Aug. 3, Betts hadn't played second base in an MLB game since 2014.
