Red Sox lineup has new shortstop Friday, plus Marcelo Mayer (at 2B) vs. lefty for second time all year

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BOSTON — Marcelo Mayer isn’t playing shortstop for the Red Sox on Friday night, but he is doing something he has rarely done all season.

Mayer is playing second base and getting just his second start of the year against a left-handed starter as the Twins and southpaw Connor Prielipp open a three-game series at Fenway Park. After using both Andruw Monasterio (four times) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (twice) at shortstop since Trevor Story went on the injured list Saturday, interim manager Chad Tracy will go with switch-hitter Nick Sogard at the position Friday.


Monasterio is the designated hitter with both Masataka Yoshida and Mickey Gasper on the bench. Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela is hitting second for Boston for the fifth time this season. Caleb Durbin is at third base against the lefty and Carlos Narváez is catching starter Payton Tolle.

Tracy explained that he thinks Prielipp represents a good matchup for Mayer, who is 3-for-10 with a homer and four RBIs in a small sample against southpaws this season.

“Looking at Prielipp, it’a little bit more four-seam oriented,” said Tracy. “Marcelo’s pretty good at hitting fastballs. It’s the mix of, ‘We’re going to give him a shot’ and looking for those spots where I feel like maybe the stuff matches up pretty well.”

The Red Sox will look to keep their momentum after sweeping the Royals in a three-game set at Kauffman Stadium earlier in the week. Boston has won four of five and is 10-8 this month. Tolle — who owns a 2.05 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 30 ⅔ innings since making his season debut on April 23, will try to stay on track despite facing a Minnesota lineup that hit ace lefty Garrett Crochet very hard at Target Field last month.


First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET.

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MINNESOTA TWINS (23-27) vs. BOSTON RED SOX (22-27) · TRUIST PARK · ATLANTA, GA · GAME 50

FIRST PITCH: 7:10 p.m. ET

TV CHANNEL: NESN

RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM

PITCHING PROBABLES: LHP Connor Prielipp (1-2, 2.88 ERA) vs. LHP Payton Tolle (2-2, 2.05 ERA)

RED SOX LINEUP:

1. Jarren Duran LF
2. Ceddanne Rafaela CF
3. Wilyer Abreu RF
4. Willson Contreras 1B
5. Andruw Monasterio DH
6. Nick Sogard SS
7. Marcelo Mayer 2B
8. Carlos Narváez C
9. Caleb Durbin 3B

TWINS LINEUP:

1. Byron Buxton DH
2. Brooks Lee 3B
3. Austin Martin CF
4. Josh Bell 1B
5. Gabriel Gonzalez LF
6. Ryan Kreidler SS
7. Kody Clemens RF
8. Luke Keaschall 2B
9. Alex Jackson C

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• Reason for Red Sox top prospect’s benching revealed
• Red Sox’ Trevor Story has surgery on sports hernia; ‘basic prognosis’ is 6-10 weeks out
• Red Sox trade talks happening ‘earlier than ever before,’ exec says

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