Boston Red Sox shake things up for next Royals series game after three straight defeats

Boston Red Sox have made a notable change to their lineup for Saturday’s meeting with the Kansas City Royals, with Jarren Duran moving up the batting order as Boston looks to respond to three consecutive defeats.

Duran will remain in centre field for the second straight game, but interim manager Chad Tracy has opted to give the outfielder a different spot in the order for the latest Royals clash at Fenway Park.

Jarren Duran moves up in Red Sox lineup

Duran will bat seventh against the Royals after hitting eighth in Friday night’s series opener, which Boston lost 3-2.

The Red Sox have also kept Duran in centre field, with Ceddanne Rafaela and Eli White both on the injured list. Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu will join him in the outfield for Saturday’s contest.

The updated lineup also sees Caleb Durbin and Anthony Seigler occupy the eighth and ninth spots respectively, with Ranger Suarez starting on the mound for Boston.

Via Underdog MLB:

“Red Sox 9/12 R. Anthony LF M. Gasper DH A. Rutschman C W. Abreu RF T. Story SS N. Sogard 1B J. Duran CF C. Durbin 3B A. Seigler 2B R. Suarez SP.”

Boston Red Sox shake things up

The decision to move Duran higher in the order comes as the Red Sox attempt to halt a difficult run of results.

Duran is in his sixth MLB season, with all six campaigns coming as a member of the Red Sox. However, the current season has been a difficult one for the outfielder based on the numbers available in the reference material.

He has appeared in 138 games and recorded 522 at-bats this season, with the campaign described as his toughest statistically given his sample size.

For Saturday’s game, Boston has therefore made a small adjustment involving Duran rather than removing him from the starting lineup. The outfielder remains in centre field while receiving an opportunity to contribute from a slightly higher position in the batting order.

With the Red Sox coming off three straight defeats, the lineup change gives Duran another chance to make an impact as Boston continues its series against Kansas City.

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