The Boston Red Sox open a series against the Kansas City Royals on Friday looking to halt a two-game slide after dropping both contests to the Los Angeles Angels.
As the club prepares for the first game of that set, the organization announced a notable change in the batting order involving veteran shortstop Trevor Story.
Story, who had been hitting cleanup in the most recent game against the Angels, will bat fifth against Kansas City. That shift moves Wilyer Abreu into the cleanup spot for Friday’s opener, via Underdog MLB.
The rest of the lineup, as reported ahead of the series, lists Roman Anthony in left field leading off, followed by Marcelo Gasper as the designated hitter, Adley Rutschman catching, Abreu in right field, Story at shortstop, Nate Sogard at first base, Caleb Durbin at third, Jarren Duran in center, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa at second base.
The decision arrives while Story is swinging the bat with more consistency than he showed for much of the year. Over his last 10 games he has recorded a hit in nine of them and collected five doubles in that stretch.
Those numbers suggest the 11-year major leaguer is finding a rhythm at a useful moment for a Red Sox club trying to regain momentum.
For the season as a whole, Story’s production has been more modest. In 51 games he has three home runs, 12 doubles, 23 runs batted in, and a .233 batting average.
The recent surge in extra-base hits, particularly the doubles, gives Boston reason to keep him in the middle of the order even if he is no longer occupying the fourth spot.
Moving Story down one slot is a relatively small adjustment, yet it reflects how managers continually tinker with lineup construction as they search for better sequencing and protection.
Abreu taking over cleanup duties puts a different type of hitter in that role for at least one night.
Whether the change lasts beyond Friday will depend on how both players perform against Royals pitching and how the rest of the lineup produces.
The Red Sox enter the series needing better results after the two losses to Anaheim. A hot-hitting Story in the five-hole, paired with Abreu in the four-spot, is the combination Boston has chosen to start that process.
Fans at Fenway and those following from afar will see quickly whether the modest shuffle helps generate more consistent offense against Kansas City.
