David Ortiz is “a natural” at first base, Red Sox infield coach Brian Butterfield said Sunday, when Ortiz was making his first start at first base in an American League city since 2006.
With Mike Napoli 0-for-9 with four strikeouts and an error in his last two games, dropping his season average to .192, the Red Sox gave Napoli a seat on the bench for the club’s series finale against the Astros and decided to send Ortiz to the field. The alignment also allows for Hanley Ramirez to step away from left field and serve as the designated hitter.