ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Billy Burns is drawing a start in right field Sunday, his first time playing the position at any point in his professional career.
With Josh Reddick getting his first day off on this nine-game road trip, and Burns possessing a stronger throwing arm than left fielder Khris Davis or center fielder Coco Crisp, Burns was the choice to shift over to right. All 154 major league games that he’s played defensively have come in center, and according to baseball-reference.com, Burns never played right field in the minors either.
He spent time in batting practice Saturday and Sunday working with outfield coach Mike Aldrete and reading balls off the bat.