Expected return of Pedroia provides lineup options

Two weeks ago, the Red Sox didn't have enough in their lineup to win games. Beginning Tuesday, they may suddenly have more players than they know what to do with.

The expected return of Dustin Pedroia – who has been on the 10-day DL with left knee inflammation – will create a busy infield for manager John Farrell. In Pedroia’s absence, Eduardo Nunez has had a major impact, mostly while filling in at second.

Initially, when Nunez was obtained at the close of the team’s recent West Coast trip, the plan was to platoon the righthanded-hitting Nunez with lefty-swinging Rafael Devers at third. But Devers (.349/.423/.605) has emerged as a key element of the Sox’ recently rejuvenated offense and there’s absolutely no reason to take him out of the lineup.

Devers has demonstrated that he can hit lefties (.364/.417/.455) so sitting him, even part of the time, would seem out of the question. The fact that Devers has recently hit as high as fifth in the order demonstrates how much faith the club has in his performance, just two weeks into his major league career.

Nunez, meanwhile, has been a force of nature since joining the Sox at the start of their most recent homestand.  In nine games, Nunez has slashed .400/.429/1.229  Moreover, he’s added four homers in 40 at-bats – the same number he hit for the San Francisco Giants in 302 at-bats. There’s something about hitting in Fenway that Nunez has found appealing.

All of which gives Farrell a host of options. Nunez’s versatility offers plenty of potential configurations. Nunez can play third, short, and second and it makes sense for him to move around. In particular, look for him to play more second in the coming weeks, giving Pedroia the chance to get off his feet and DH on occasion. The less Pedroia is on his feet at second base, the better it is for his problematic left knee, which is aggravated by volume of play.

Nunez is hardly considered a plus-defender at any position, but he could also fill in at short, allowing Xander Bogaerts some down time. Bogaerts, who slumped significantly at the plate in July (.227), has also been in the middle of a fielding dip, committing six errors in his last 16 games.

There are three more options to find playing time for Nunez. He could DH on occasion, especially now that Hanley Ramirez is battling an oblique pull. He could fill in occasionally in left field against lefties while the Sox pick and choose when to sit Andrew Benintendi. And finally, there’s the possibility of breaking him at first.

When Nunez was first acquired, Farrell noted that the Sox would look to get him some pre-game work at first so that he could contribute there, too. Pedroia’s absence – and the need for Nunez to play there regularly – meant there was no opportunity to get Nunez acclimated at first, but now, that represents another opportunity.

All of which bodes well for the Sox and an offense which has finally stirred from its three and a half month slumber. Now, they get to re-introduce Pedroia, whose .307 average was the highest of any everyday player on the roster, and still incorporate the two newcomers – Devers and Nunez – who are largely responsible for the lineup’s reawakening.