The Crimson Sox anticipate infielder Yu Chang to return from a hamate fracture this week, experiences Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com (Twitter hyperlink). The crew plans to deploy Chang as its beginning shortstop as soon as he’s reinstated from the 60-day injured checklist. Chang has been out since present process surgical procedure in late April.
Chang’s standing because the crew’s starter at brief figures to be tenuous, a minimum of in the long term. Trevor Story is hoping to return from elbow surgical procedure someday this month and ease again into issues as a delegated hitter at first. Nevertheless, he’s expressed optimism about having the ability to return to shortstop at someday in August. Past the potential impression of Story’s return, the commerce deadline looms on Aug. 1 and will clearly impression Boston’s center infield outlook.
Using Chang because the starter at shortstop, even when just for a month or so, highlights the middle-infield issues which have plagued the Sox all year long. Boston discovered late within the offseason that Story would miss a minimum of the primary half of the season. Subsequent strikes to bolster the center infield depth — buying Adalberto Mondesi and signing Adam Duvall, thus pushing Enrique Hernandez from middle discipline to the infield — haven’t had the meant impact. Mondesi hasn’t performed in a recreation this season on account of harm, whereas Hernandez has been pushed out of the beginning shortstop function on account of defensive struggles.
Of late, the Crimson Sox have used rookie David Hamilton on the place, however he’s batted simply .120/.241/.160 in his first 29 Main League plate appearances. On the entire, Boston shortstops have posted a .212/.281/.325 batting line this yr, which interprets to a 63 wRC+ that ranks final within the Majors. In addition they rank twentieth in Defensive Runs Saved and twenty seventh in Outs Above Common.
Chang’s return ought to, on the very least, assistance on the defensive finish of the coin. The 27-year-old is thought to be a flexible and above-average infield defender, with optimistic DRS and OAA grades in his profession at every of second base, shortstop and third base.
On the plate, nonetheless, Chang most likely received’t present a lot of a lift. He’s appeared in 213 huge league video games and tallied 585 plate appearances however managed only a .206/.271/.358 batting line with a 7% stroll fee and 28.4% strikeout fee. That manufacturing would grade as a slight improve over Boston’s cumulative shortstop output in 2023 — a damning assertion on the crew’s middle-infield play as a complete — however nonetheless grades properly beneath league common.
The Sox will hope that defensive beneficial properties made by putting in Chang at shortstop may help preserve their playoff hopes afloat. A 13-game deficit within the American League East appears practically insurmountable, however Boston is a extra manageable 5 video games again of the ultimate Wild Card spot within the American League, at present sporting a .500 document. Their play over the following a number of weeks will probably be of specific word, because it’ll seemingly decide the entrance workplace’s method to the 2023 commerce deadline on Aug. 1.
