Red Sox: The Second Base Debacle
Slumping second baseman Christian Arroyo has yet to seize a golden opportunity.
As many fans have seen in a recent stretch for Boston’s beloved Red Sox franchise, sometimes offensive slumps can spread like a virus in a clubhouse. When one guy goes down, another is soon to follow. As of late, this has unfortunately been the case for most of the lineup as several notable players on the roster have been mired in a dry spell, one both players and fans alike hope to see a conclusion in a short manner.
The focal point as of late has been that of Kiké Hernández, who has notably gone 0-for-27 at the plate over what has been a stretch to forget. With productivity out of one of the team’s more marketable players being an expectation, others in the lineup have flown under the radar. Christian Arroyo is one of them. Arroyo is in a position to seize a golden opportunity and claim the keys to second base for the foreseeable future if he can show manager Alex Cora that he can be both healthy and consistent at the plate.
Viewers, coaches, and the front office alike have all seen some of the outstanding plays that Arroyo has made during his short tenure at second base but have yet to see the bat show up alongside it. In a time where the offense is so desperately necessary, Arroyo finds himself with just six hits in 34 attempts complemented by eight strikeouts.
As many are aware, Arroyo has had issues staying healthy since joining Boston via waivers in late 2020. When he has been healthy, he has proven he can be a sparkplug to the team. So far this season, albeit over an 11-game span, he has not had any publicly known health-related issues.
While the current state of the middle infield isn’t particularly set in stone, Cora now has one extra option (in addition to Yu Chang) to pencil into the lineup in the form of Bobby Dalbec, who was recently recalled from Worcester. Cora having options can spell trouble for Arroyo, who has yet to take advantage of inheriting the second base job on opening day.
It may still be early in the season, but Dalbec did not necessarily get recalled to fill the void of injured center fielder Adam Duvall. With Dalbec himself confirming his willingness to play around the diamond and Cora putting that plan into action, this could be a sign that there is no longer an incumbent second baseman.
From henceforth, it would appear that the second base job may very well be another spring training-like battle in its own right. Will Arroyo walk away with the keys for a second time?
Follow Steven on Twitter @StevenBrownMLB
For additional Red Sox, Patriots, MLB, and NFL content follow Beyond the Monster on Twitter @BeyondtheMnstr.
Not looking good so far , let’s hope everything goes better very soon 🙏☝️👍