The Pink Sox anticipate infielder Yu Chang to return from a hamate fracture this week, studies Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com (Twitter link). The workforce 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 workforce’s starter at quick figures to be tenuous, at the very least in the long term. Trevor Story is hoping to return from elbow surgical procedure someday this month and ease again into issues as a chosen hitter at first. Nonetheless, he’s expressed optimism about having the ability to return to shortstop at someday in August. Past the potential influence of Story’s return, the commerce deadline looms on Aug. 1 and will clearly influence 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 at the very least 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 supposed impact. Mondesi hasn’t performed in a recreation this season as a result of damage, whereas Hernandez has been pushed out of the beginning shortstop position as a result of defensive struggles.
Of late, the Pink 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 12 months, which interprets to a 63 wRC+ that ranks final within the Majors. Additionally 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 constructive DRS and OAA grades in his profession at every of second base, shortstop and third base.
On the plate, nevertheless, Chang in all probability 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 price and 28.4% strikeout price. That manufacturing would grade as a slight improve over Boston’s cumulative shortstop output in 2023 — a damning assertion on the workforce’s middle-infield play as an entire — however nonetheless grades properly beneath league common.
The Sox will hope that defensive good points made by putting in Chang at shortstop will 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 report. Their play over the subsequent a number of weeks will likely be of explicit notice, because it’ll doubtless decide the entrance workplace’s strategy to the 2023 commerce deadline on Aug. 1.