The Boston Red Sox face a roster crunch with their infield in the coming days. Trevor Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa are both expected to come off the 60-day injured list soon.
The veteran infielder provided an unexpected answer to that potential roster crunch. He told MassLive’s Chris Cotillo that he plans to stretch his rehab assignment for another week, so he can be activated on September 1.
“I understand how things move with the roster,” Kiner-Falefa told Cotillo. “We’ve got a lot of quality guys, guys who have done things and don’t deserve to come down or be DFA.”
The players he’s referring to are Anthony Seigler, Mickey Gasper, and Andruw Monasterio. Those three aren’t household names, but they’ve been unexpected contributors in their midseason revival.
In September, the Red Sox can carry one more position player. Kiner-Falefa is positioning himself to be that player, so the club doesn’t have to make any unnecessary roster moves over the next week.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa Offers Solution to Roster Crunch
GettyIsiah Kiner-Falefa will spend one more week on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
Isiah Kiner-Falefa is rehabbing from a left forearm injury that’s kept him out since June 19. He’s currently on a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester.
Kiner-Falefa is playing the role of a good teammate in this situation. He understands the need to keep players such as Anthony Seigler, Mickey Gasper, and Andruw Monasterio in the lineup. That’s why he’s choosing to delay his return to the big leagues by one more week.
On the season, the 31-year-old utility infielder is slashing .277/.344/.361. By measure of wRC+, he is a league-average hitter with a 100 mark. On the strength of being able to handle multiple infield positions at a high level, Kiner-Falefa has produced 1.2 fWAR.
The Red Sox have two open spots on their 40-man roster and need to activate three players from the 60-day injured list. Trevor Story and Roman Anthony are likely to be activated from the injured list first.
By delaying his activation from the injured list, Kiner-Falefa aims to alleviate the roster crunch for the organization. However, the Red Sox still have to make a 40-man roster move and remove two players from their current active roster by September 1.
What’s Next for the Red Sox’s Infield?
GettyAndruw Monasterio has stabilized the shortstop position after the injuries to Trevor Story and Isiah-Kiner Falefa. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The question the Red Sox will face is what they do with their starting infield. Trevor Story began the year as their shortstop, but given his struggles at the plate, the question is whether he should get his job back at all.
Andruw Monasterio has been a surprise contributor at shortstop. He came with Caleb Durbin and Anthony Seigler in the Kyle Harrison trade to the Milwaukee Brewers. The three infielders have rebounded to make the trade more palatable for Boston.
On the season, the 29-year-old is slashing .254/.312/.412 with six home runs and a 99 wRC+. He’s stabilized the position with the injuries to Story and Isiah Kiner-Falefa, plus the Erik Miller deal that sent former top prospect Marcelo Mayer to the San Francisco Giants.
While he’s been a league-average hitter, the defensive metrics question his viability at shortstop. Monasterio grades at 0 Defensive Runs Saved and -9 Outs Above Average at the position. The club may have to decide how much offense and defense they want there.
There isn’t a perfect solution to the Red Sox’s infield situation. The club will have to decide Story’s future first. Then the focus shifts to what’s next for both Monasterio and Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
The Red Sox face tough decisions on who they’ll send down and who they’ll bump off the 40-man roster.
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