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For the second straight home game, David Ortiz is nowhere to be seen, sitting out with dehydration as Pablo Sandoval takes over as the designated hitter.
Boston Red Sox (8-6)
- Mookie Betts, CF
- Dustin Pedroia, 2B
- Pablo Sandoval, DH
- Hanley Ramirez, LF
- Mike Napoli, 1B
- Shane Victorino, RF
- Xander Bogaerts, SS
- Ryan Hanigan, C
- Jemille Weeks, 3B
Starting Pitcher -- Rick Porcello
Shane Victorino and Christian Vazquez have dealt with soreness, Joe Kelly's bicep is tight, Rusney Castillo's is only just getting ready to return to action after straining his oblique in the first game of spring, and now David Ortiz is dehydrated. It's been small injury after small injury for the Red Sox, which is certainly better than the alternatives we're seeing in places like San Francisco, Toronto, and Texas. But it's still not exactly ideal.
Still, until Kelly's tightness turns serious or Castillo's injury does more than keep him in the minor leagues for a convenient period of time in April while the roster sorts itself out (a scenario that is still far from guaranteed), we should not look our gift horse in the mouth. David Ortiz got himself dehydrated, perhaps, and is taking a few spring days off as a result. That's not the sort of problem that lasts into the meaningful months of April and beyond, and nobody particularly cares what it might cost us in the old Mayor's Cup. I, for one, will take it.
First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. with not a broadcast in sight.