Shane Victorino to Give Up Switch-Hitting
The Red Sox outfielder has decided to hit only right-handed this season.
Shane Victorino has switched his decision about being a switch-hitter.
The Red Sox outfielder will return to hitting only right-handed, manager John Farrell told the media on Saturday before the Sox’ spring training matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In February, Victorino announced he would resume hitting from both sides of the plate as he had earlier in his career.
“He’s going to hit from the right side exclusively,’’ said Farrell, via MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “I think with all the work he’s been doing in the cage swinging left-handed, some of the tightness that he has, [he] felt it was as a result of the left-handed swing. That gets alleviated [swinging right-handed] and I think that has a chance to free up his mind, as well. That’s the plan going forward with him — he’s going to hit right-handed.’’
Victorino stopped hitting from the left side in August 2013 after suffering a left hamstring injury. Overall, he batted .308 from the right side during the 2013 season in 269 at-bats. During his injury-plagued 2014 season in which he played just 30 games, Victorino hit .268 with two home runs and 12 RBIs. Not once did he hit left-handed after deciding at the time he was going to only hit from the right side.
A quirk about Victorino’s right-handed stance involves how close he stands to the plate, leading to a high number of hit by pitches, especially when facing righties. He’s been hit 47 times while batting from the right side – 15 against righty hurlers – in his career, compared to 29 as a lefty.
Victorino is still in the midst of a battle for a spot in the Red Sox outfield that now appears to have only one opening, with Hanley Ramirez and Mookie Betts all but locking down left and center field, respectively. His main competition for the starting right field job is Rusney Castillo, who missed 17 days this spring with an oblique injury suffered against Boston College on March 3.
Going into Saturday, Victorino had seen time in seven spring training games, collecting just two hits in 16 at bats with three walks and four strikeouts. He has yet to play on back-to-back days.
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