David Ross is back with the Red Sox and in the lineup Wednesday night, starting behind the plate to catch Clay Buchholz as the Red Sox take on the Angels once again.
David Ross hasn't quite been the player the Red Sox were hoping for when they signed him before 2013. The bat that he'd shown with the Braves faded away, and between that and health issues, Ross hasn't quite been able to fill that "more than a backup, less" role that the team had him pegged for.
For all that, though, it's good to see him back. If Ross hasn't been as good as hoped, he's still a fantastic defensive catcher, and just generally one of the good guys in baseball. When he went on the disabled list with plantar fasciitis, I thought we may have seen the last of him in a Red Sox uniform, and perhaps even the last of him as a professional baseball player given his age.
I'm glad to be proven wrong. I'm glad because it means he's in a better position to show Christian Vazquez the ropes, and because the likes of Clay Buchholz can have him behind the plate. I wish these last few days of his Red Sox career were coming at a better time, but at least they're coming with him on the field.
First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET with broadcasts on NESN, WEEI, and ESPN2.