PT TOMORROW: AL East—Further fallout from BOS catcher switch

Boston Red Sox

One side note to the news analyzed in Playing Time Today April 15 that Christian Vázquez (C, BOS) was on his way to Boston is that Blake Swihart (C, BOS) will be playing some left field at AAA-Pawtucket.

As was discussed in this space last week, the Red Sox are deploying a surprising and some would say suboptimal platoon in left field, with Brock Holt (OF, BOS) getting the lion’s share of the at-bats. After a hot start, Holt had just two hits in his next 18 AB through the team’s April 16 game.

Meanwhile, the switch-hitting Swihart has done most of his best work at the plate from the left side, with a slugging percentage nearly 100 points higher (.411) vs. RHP. As the position will be entirely new to him in his...

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