Verdugo not in the lineup in Sox debut

Manager Ron Roenicke instead plays Kevin Pillar in right field, a right-handed hitter against a left-handed starter

BOSTON — Alex Verdugo was not in the Opening Day lineup for the Red Sox on Friday.

The lone big leaguer Boston received in the blockbuster offseason trade sending Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers found himself on the bench behind three other outfielders. Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. maintained their usual places in left field and center field while Kevin Pillar made his Red Sox debut in right field.

Boston’s stated intention throughout the offseason was to have Pillar in the lineup against left-handers like Baltimore’s Tommy Milone. His role demanded a start on this occasion — it was his primary reason for inclusion on this 30-man roster. Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke preferred Benintendi and Bradley to Verdugo based on their performance throughout Summer Camp.

"I think a lot of it has to do with Jackie swinging the bat well for three weeks and with Benny swinging the bat well for three weeks," Roenicke said. "Then, with Pillar, I’ve kind of slated him into that spot in right field.

"Things definitely could change Sunday when we face our next left-hander."

Wade LeBlanc will take the ball in the series finale for the Orioles, and it’s expected Verdugo will make at least one start before the Mets visit for two games next week. This outcome is ultimately the same as it would have been if the 2020 campaign started on time in late March — Verdugo was likely to be on the injured list due to a stress fracture in his back.

Benintendi and Bradley both have considerably more experience in the big leagues, but it’s Verdugo who boasts the best numbers among the club’s outfielders in left-left matchups. He carries a .785 OPS against southpaws compared to just .696 for Benintendi and .669 for Bradley.

"I called him this morning and talked to him about it," Roenicke said. "He reassured me that he does hit left-handers well, which I know. We have some statistics on him and what he does."

Verdugo also carried an .815 OPS against left-handers during his final full season of Triple-A at Tulsa. When he was asked early in camp whether or not he considered himself an everyday player, the 24-year-old could not have been more clear. "For me, I’m an everyday player," Verdugo said on July 4. "That’s just that. It’s that simple. There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it. I’m somebody who wants to be out there every single day competing.

"It doesn’t matter if it’s a lefty on the mound or a righty on the mound. I feel like my splits — I hit lefties better than I hit righties. I want to play. That’s what everybody comes to the big leagues for. That’s what everybody wants to be."

From an organizational perspective, Boston would seem to have more invested in Verdugo than any other outfielder on its roster. Pillar is on a one-year deal and Bradley hits free agency for the first time after this season. Benintendi will be a free agent following the 2022 season. Verdugo is under team control until at least 2025.

The Red Sox also elected to break up their left-handers at the top and bottom of the order. Benintendi led off and was followed by J.D. Martinez, who batted second for the first time since the 2016 season with the Tigers. Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts hit third and fourth, respectively, while Jose Peraza was sandwiched by Bradley and Benintendi in the No. 9 spot.

Martinez hit in the same spot against the Blue Jays during a pair of exhibition games Tuesday and Wednesday. Roenicke took his cue from Boston’s analytics team and his past experience on the bench with the Angels. Mike Trout, widely regarded as baseball’s best player, hits in the same spot for Los Angeles.

"I haven’t seen it long enough to tell you that hitting Mike Trout second has been this great thing because I’m not there anymore," Roenicke said Wednesday. "I’m not sure. But I know last night it looked really good. I’m hoping that it will continue to look really good and we’ll stick with it."

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25