It's hard to imagine Chad Tracy taking Andruw Monasterio out of the lineup at this point, but the Boston Red Sox may be headed in that direction.
Trevor Story, the team's Opening Day shortstop, is on a rehab assignment and nearing a return. When he comes back, it will not be hard for Monasterio to slide over to second base and stay in the lineup. However, Isiah Kiner-Falefa is also on his way back, and getting Monasterio adequate at-bats will be difficult.
Since July 1, he has the third-best OPS on the team. He essentially took over as the everyday shortstop on July 22, and since then he is slashing .298/.358/.404 with 20 RBI and eight extra-base hits. He has earned his playing time, but knows his role on the team is about to change.
“I know what my role is,” Monasterio said, per The Boston Globe's Tim Healey. “At the beginning of the season, I played DH, first base, second base — I don’t have any issues with that. I know what my role is.
“And in spring training, (Story) was the shortstop of the team, so I don’t want to be mad or I don’t want to be upset if they make that decision. They are the front office, they are the coaches, they make the decision. They pay me to play, I play whatever they want.”
Monasterio's versatility does create more ways for Tracy to get him in the lineup. Tracy has already noted that Monasterio will keep earning starts, as he should.
"He’ll still play,” Tracy said on Tuesday, per MassLive's Chris Cotillo. “It’s hard to deny. He’ll play second. You saw the early part of the season where Mona was playing third, second and a little bit of short if he needed to. The way he’s swung the bat against both left and right, you can’t deny that or ignore it. You have to keep that involved. These are all things with when we get to the point where we start getting guys back.”
Monasterio could play as a designated hitter more often with Masataka Yoshida injured. However, when Roman Anthony comes back, the team may want to use the DH spot to keep Jarren Duran in the mix, even though he has not really earned it.
The point is, in the short-term, Monasterio will find ways to get at-bats, and if Story hits like he did before he got hurt, it won't be long before he takes his at-bats. However, when Curtis Mead is ready to return, Monasterio may be relegated to a bench role.