Bobby Dalbec to see time at three infield positions while in camp
With the World Baseball Classic set to begin in a few weeks, one Red Sox infielder will get a chance to impress and make the big league roster. Manager Alex Cora told reporters on Wednesday that Bobby Dalbec will see time at three infield positions, first base, third base and shortstop while at Spring Training.
All-Star third baseman Rafael Devers will be leaving camp for the WBC, as well as shortstop Kiké Hernández, allowing Dalbec to get extended looks around the diamond.
Triston Casas will be penciled in at first base with newcomer Justin Turner as his back up. Dalbec could provide the Red Sox internal flexibility at shortstop with Hernandez at the WBC and Adalberto Mondesí rehabbing from ACL surgery.
Last season, Dalbec struggled hitting 215/.283/.369 with 12 home runs, 39 RBIs and a .652 OPS. Dalbec also struck out 118 times in 317 at-bats (33.4% strikeout rate).
The 27-year-old was once a former top-100 prospect who burst onto the scene in 2020. That season, he hit eight homers in 23 games with an impressive 151 wRC+ but he also struck out 42.2% of the time.
Cora has confidence with Dalbec playing shortstop. The Red Sox skipper told reporters last August that he spent time there when in a shift as a third baseman.
“He’s played on that side most of the time in the shift,” Cora said. “So I know we always talk about him playing second in an emergency. But you’ve got to turn double plays, you’ve got to do all that stuff. So I asked him if he’s comfortable on that side and we’re going with him at short.”
Related: Alex Cora on Christian Arroyo: ‘He’s our second baseman as of now’
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