John Farrell will turn to Daniel Nava to fill the DH role and bat second Wednesday night as the Red Sox take on Hiroki Kuroda and the New York Yankees in New Yankee Stadium.
While many expected Jonny Gomes to be a full-time starter when he signed for two years and $10 million back in November, the left fielder's difficulty facing right-handed pitchers made him a natural option for a platoon. Fenway's friendly confines might well lead to more playing time for Gomes than the right-handed half typically gets--even against righties, Gomes' swing is just perfect with the Monster in left--but at least while the Sox are on the road, Nava is easy choice on nights like tonight.
Boston Red Sox (1-0)
- Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
- Daniel Nava, DH
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Mike Napoli, 1B
- Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
- Will Middlebrooks, 3B
- Shane Victorino, RF
- Jackie Bradley Jr., LF
- Jose Iglesias, SS
New York Yankees (0-1)
- Brett Gardner, CF
- Ichiro Suzuki, RF
- Robinson Cano, 2B
- Kevin Youkilis, 3B
- Travis Hafner, DH
- Vernon Wells, LF
- Lyle Overbay, 1B
- Eduardo Nunez, SS
- Chris Stewart, C
The other interesting switch lies in the five and six spots, where Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Will Middlebrooks have switched places. On some levels this makes sense, given that Middlebrooks is right-handed and Saltalamacchia is much better against right-handed pitchers than he is against lefties. On the other hand, it is a little odd given that Farrell had said he wanted most of his lineup shifts (in a full lineup), to happen in the last few slots. Even when David Ortiz is back, Will Middlebrooks seemed likely to form the back-end of that static first-five that would give the lineup its foundation.
The Yankees will also mix things up some, with Ichiro Suzuki jumping up to hit second against Clay Buchholz. It's a more recognizable name than Eduardo Nunez, certainly, but at Ichiro's age, not necessarily all that more intimidating. More concerning is designated hitter Travis Hafner. He's certainly not the player he used to be, but the Yankees have a tendency to revitalize players, and even the 2012 Hafner isn't a bat to ignore.