Mookie Betts Batting Cleanup For Red Sox Vs. Indians
BOSTON (CBS) -- As the Red Sox start a crucial 11-game road trip on Monday, Mookie Betts will add something new to his ever-growing resume.
For the first time in his career, Betts is batting cleanup for Boston in their one-game visit to Cleveland. This comes a day after Betts joined Hall of Famer Ted Williams as the only Red Sox hitter to have two three-homer games in a single season.
It really hasn't mattered where Betts has hit in the order; the Boston right fielder has produced wherever manager John Farrell has penciled him in. Betts recently moved him from leadoff to the three-spot, and in 18 at-bats he hit .389 (7-for-18) with three homers, 10 RBIs and two doubles.
Overall, Betts is batting .313 with a .914 OPS, a team-high 26 homers and 84 RBIs, making him a contender (if not the favorite) for the AL's MVP award when the season concludes.
Betts is taking over for Hanley Ramirez in the cleanup spot after the Boston first baseman was placed on the bereavement list on Sunday. Travis Shaw slides across the diamond to take over at first base, while Aaron Hill will play third on Monday.
Here is the full Red Sox lineup against the Indians:
1. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
2. Xander Bogaerts, SS
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Mookie Betts, RF
5. Jackie Bradley Jr., CF
6. Aaron Hill, 3B
7. Travis Shaw, 1B
8. Bryan Holaday, C
9. Andrew Benintendi, LF
-- Drew Pomeranz, SP
Boston also made a handful of roster moves prior to Monday's game, calling up infielder Deven Marrero, utility man Marco Hernandez and reliever Heath Hembree from Triple A to take the roster spots of Ramirez (bereavement list), starting pitcher Steven Wright (who was placed on the DL on Sunday) and reliever Roenis Elias (optioned to Pawtucket following Sunday's win).
This will be the third stint in the majors for Hembree this season, with the right-hander going 4-0 with a 2.41 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 27 appearances. With the PawSox, Hembree had a 0.82 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 10 appearances, converting all seven of his save opportunities.
Monday's call up is the fourth major league stint this season for Hernandez, who owns a .295 batting average (13-for-44) with seven runs, one double, one home run, five RBIs, and one stolen base in 29 big league games with Boston.
For Marrero, a first-round pick by Boston in 2012, this marks his second stint in the big leagues this season. In his 87 games with Pawtucket this year, Marrero is hitting .196 (65-for-331) with 28 runs, 10 doubles and 10 stolen bases.
