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Red Sox vs. Athletics lineups: Shane Victorino returns in Oakland

Shane Victorino is back in action Monday night. For how long is anyone's guess.

By Ben Buchanan
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox are out west, and Shane Victorino is with them, starting his first game in nearly three weeks.

BOSTON RED SOX (14-17) OAKLAND A'S (12-21)
Mookie Betts - CF Billy Burns - CF
Dustin Pedroia - 2B Coco Crisp - LF
David Ortiz - DH Josh Reddick - RF
Hanley Ramirez - LF Billy Butler - DH
Mike Napoli - 1B Stephen Vogt - C
Pablo Sandoval - 3B Ike Davis - 1B
Shane Victorino - RF Brett Lawrie - 3B
Xander Bogaerts - SS Marcus Semien - SS
Blake Swihart - C

Eric Sogard - 2B

So yes, it's time for more Victorino. The question is just how much of a chance he'll get. "Failure to launch" is about as polite a description as I can come up with for his performance in April, and while Rusney Castillo isn't exactly pushing the issue in Pawtucket coming off his own injury, it's hard to imagine the Red Sox giving him very long to show he's got anything left in the tank, particularly with the season going the way it has. It might be Jackie Bradley Jr. who gets the job, it might be Rusney Castillo, but it won't be Shane Victorino if he keeps playing at the level he has thus far this season.

On the mound, the Red Sox will have Rick Porcello. He's more or less been the eye in the storm that is the Red Sox rotation. Hopefully in a park as friendly as Oakland's, Porcello's early-season home run problems will stay away as they have in his last couple games, letting him establish a legitimate run of success.

First pitch is at 10:05 p.m. ET with broadcasts on NESN and WEEI.

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