SAN DIEGO -- What goes around has come around for Travis Shaw.
When spring training began, Shaw was bracing for life as a utility player with the Boston Red Sox, the 26-year-old infielder even broadening his horizons to play left field. But he outplayed Pablo Sandoval and won the third-base job outright.
Lately, though, Shaw has lost playing time by virtue of struggling against left-handed pitching. And now that the Red Sox have called up top prospect Yoan Moncada, Shaw won't play third base against righties either, leaving him to take fly balls in left field and bide his time to get back into the lineup. He could make his first career start in left field Wednesday night against the San Diego Padres, according to manager John Farrell.
"It is what it is," Shaw said Monday. "They wanted a spark and Moncada came up and he's played well so far since he's gotten here. I'm still, I don't want to say pleased, but I could've had a worse year. But it's the spot we're in right now and down the stretch I’m going to do whatever they ask me to do."
Shaw is batting .251 with 32 doubles, 15 homers and a .759 OPS. But he's slashing only .198/.250/.396 with four homers in 96 at-bats against lefties and .203/.277/.407 with six homers in 118 at-bats since the All-Star break.
With the Padres slated to start three right-handers -- Edwin Jackson, Paul Clemens and Jarred Cosart -- against the Red Sox, Moncada is likely to start all three games of the series. But Farrell believes Shaw could still present a favorable matchup as a left fielder, especially with lefty-hitting rookie Andrew Benintendi still recovering from a sprained left knee.
"It was news to me [Sunday]," Shaw said of being told he might get a start in left field. "It seems like third base, there's not going to be much playing time there the rest of the year, so try to find another way in there. I'm going to focus pretty much all my attention on left field from here on out and kind of see. I don't know what their plan is, but I'm going to make sure I'm adequate enough out there."
Shaw was scheduled to play left field in winter ball in Puerto Rico last year, but those plans were scuttled when he injured his shoulder.
