Sunday Red Sox Lineup: David Ortiz Sits, Will Middlebrooks Takes Over At DH

If ever there's been a lineup to read through trade-tinted glasses it's this one.

The Red Sox are not best served by having Kevin Youkilis or Adrian Gonzalez in the lineup over David Ortiz right now.

The Red Sox are not best served by having Kevin Youkilis play third over Will Middlebrooks right now.

But the only reasonable lineup that would hopefully showcase both Kevin Youkilis' bat--particularly against the left-handed Mike Minor--and his ability to play third where teams like the Chicago White Sox need the most help is by putting Will Middlebrooks at DH, Adrian Gonzalez at first, and Kevin Youkilis at third.

Or at least that's the only way to do it without taking Will Middlebrooks out of the lineup, and ownership really doesn't need a riot right now.

And so we get the aforementioned arrangement, and the new-look lineup it produces, with Will hitting third for the first time in his career, Cody Ross following him in the cleanup spot, and Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis filling out the rest of the middle at five and six. Toss in Kelly Shoppach and Darnell McDonald (though it's not at all clear why Shoppach is hitting ninth given his .913 OPS), and you've got the new-look southpaw-killing lineup.