Mourning the Designated Hitter

[EdRalphRomero]

As Rick Rowand writes over on the .com Hanley should be playing now only when "every other position player on the team has broken something." Some might say it is inconceivable for a playoff team to start a DH with a .238/.320/.423 triple slash. And there really is no platoon split to argue for here.

So who should be the DH?

If Nunez is back and healthy and not playing elsewhere (X, of course, has his own questions) he is the obvious answer. His line is .312/.340/.458 (overall) and .319/.351/.534(!) with the Sox this year.
So have we made our decision then? Not remotely!
The extent of his knee strain is a big question mark. As is how much he will be needed to play elsewhere around the infield.

What about Sam Travis (.304/.381/.411)? He can both DH and play first. He's looked good/very good in small sample size (63 PAs). His numbers at AAA this year though have to give one pause .270/.351/.375. At this point, it's hard to expect much more than replacement level hitting from him. I want him to be fearsome, but I just don't feel it.

Chris Young? Against righties because of the split this year (even though for his career he has .116 higher OPS against lefties than against righties?) His splits are an issue I realize and I don't like confrontations.

Lin? Chris Sale (2017 .333/.333/.667)?

Or am I just stalling now and we are all the way back to giving Hanley some rest and hoping for the best?

 

[RIrooter09]

If Nunez is healthy it should be him no question. Otherwise I would go with Travis. Hanley doesn't deserve to make the postseason roster at this point.

 

[Montana Fan]

Hanley has 522 of the needed 1050 PA to vest his $22,000,000, 2019 option. Not sure what they will do but please, nobody mention Bryce Brentz as an option.

 

[plucy]

Nunez and Pedroia probably split 2B and DH to protect their knees. If Hanley makes the roster it will be because Farrell defers to his vet over Travis for the last spot on the roster with an eleven man staff. They will need a RHH 1B on the bench with Holt, Young and Davis, which is an ugly bench.

 

[DeadlySplitter]

FWIW

Pete Abraham‏Verified account @PeteAbe 21m21 minutes ago
Eduardo Nunez took early BP today and threw. Felt good. Said his knee is progressing. Could return on this trip.

Hanley is still going to be on the playoff roster. he is still more likely to pop a key HR (even if it's in a PH situation) than Travis

 

[Lose Remerswaal]

FWIW

Pete Abraham‏Verified account @PeteAbe 21m21 minutes ago
Eduardo Nunez took early BP today and threw. Felt good. Said his knee is progressing. Could return on this trip.

Hanley is still going to be on the playoff roster. he is still more likely to pop a key HR (even if it's in a PH situation) than Travis

One of the Honorees before one of the recent games at Fenway was from Hellenic College. Maybe he sneezed on Hanley?

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

Hold on with the "Hanley is going to be on the playoff roster" talk. This just in from Pete Abraham:


Hanley had an MRI today on his left bicep. He may be down for a while.

 

[Joe Shlabotnick]

Hold on with the "Hanley is going to be on the playoff roster" talk. This just in from Pete Abraham:
ook

Hanley had an MRI today on his left bicep. He may be down for a while.

Looks like Sam Travis's chances of making the postseason roster just increased.

 

[DeadlySplitter]

could this possibly be another lingering thing he tried to play through?

 

[Cesar Crespo]

could this possibly be another lingering thing he tried to play through?

Probably? He seems to be injured a lot lately, but he's also not exactly young. Is he ever really going to be healthy?

 

[absintheofmalaise]

There's more damning information over at Fangraphs that I didn't use in the article.
His slash line (SSS) dropped to .150/.171/.250 in September from .221/.309/.442 in August.
His K% jumped to 31.7% from 23.7%. It hasn't been over 20% in any other month.
And his medium hit ball % jumped from 48.2% from 39.7% while his hard hit ball % fell to 29.6% from 36.5%. His soft hit ball % stayed about the same.

I think they'll mainly use Pedroia and Nunez with appearances from Vazquez at DH. I'm in the add Sam Travis to the roster club.

 

[Average Reds]

could this possibly be another lingering thing he tried to play through?

About the only thing we know about Hanley is that when he is healthy, he hits. So, yes.

 

[sean1562]

Im sure he wants to hit that 1050 PA. Certainly a lot of incentive to play through it

 

[KenTremendous]

Hanley has a 93 OPS+ and a -0.2 oWAR. Farrell insists on hitting him 4th whenever he is in the line-up. At this point, I genuinely hope he is hurt and can't make the postseason roster. The team will be better off.

 

[drbretto]

Hanley has a 93 OPS+ and a -0.2 oWAR. Farrell insists on hitting him 4th whenever he is in the line-up. At this point, I genuinely hope he is hurt and can't make the postseason roster. The team will be better off.

I'll never understand how someone can have such a sweet looking swing yet can't hit a baseball

 

[Heating up in the bullpen]

I'll never understand how someone can have such a sweet looking swing yet can't hit a baseball

Have you not noticed how often he's not looking at it?

 

[EdRalphRomero]

At this point with the tenderness of Nunez knee, I don't see any reason to play him in the field. I put him at DH (once he he is ready) and have him stay there as long as the knee holds up.

 

[Humphrey]

I cannot believe you will see Nunez again this year after Monday. Sad...only person I was looking forward to seeing hit if Hanley was (deservedly) benched. None of the other possibilities do a thing for me, except maybe Pedroia (because of his own knee) and then you're replacing a DH with a light-hitting second baseman.

 

[Bosoxen]

I cannot believe you will see Nunez again this year after Monday. Sad...only person I was looking forward to seeing hit if Hanley was (deservedly) benched. None of the other possibilities do a thing for me, except maybe Pedroia (because of his own knee) and then you're replacing a DH with a light-hitting second baseman.

Small quibble but since Pedroia would already be in the lineup anyway, you'd be replacing the DH with Brock Holt.

 

[drbretto]

Small quibble but since Pedroia would already be in the lineup anyway, you'd be replacing the DH with Brock Holt.

I think that's what he meant. He wasn't calling Pedroia a light hitting 2B, he was saying that moving Pedroia to DH means you're just replacing that slot with a light hitting second replacement 2B.