Red Sox prospect Mookie Betts made his first career start in right field last night for Triple-A Pawtucket.
This is significant as we just learned the other day that Shane Victorino suffered a setback in his rehab from back and hamstring injuries this week. Thus the move to put Betts in right -- he had been playing center field and is naturally a second baseman -- seems calculated to fill a hole at the big league level. Or to at least give the Sox some data on which to consider it.
Betts, 21, has torn it up at the plate across two minor league levels this year, hitting a combined .348/.437/.523 with eight homers, 48 RBI and 29 stolen bases in Double- and Triple-A. He’s slated to play in the Future’s Game next month. At what position I have no damn idea.