Hanley Ramirez and Mitch Moreland celebrate after a run. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Red Sox will begin exhibition play tomorrow against Boston College and Northeastern University but, come the start of the regular season in about five weeks, Hanley Ramirez is expected to be Boston's third hitter in the lineup.
Yes, even after he batted a career-worst .242 with a .750 OPS last year.
Ramirez needs 497 plate appearances to vest his 22-million dollar option for 2019, which may be a little trickier in a platoon role with Mitch Moreland at first base now that new slugger J.D. Martinez figures to be the full-time designated hitter.
But Ramirez and Moreland said they aren't worried about their playing time.
"You know, we just want to win," Ramirez said. "That's good, it's not about me, it's not about at-bats."
"It's not about our at-bats, it's more about our wins and losses, I think," Moreland said. "We don't worry about that part of it, and like you've heard over and over again, this team and this group's got one goal. How we get there, that doesn't matter, as long as we're there and make that goal happen."
Ramirez and Moreland each had at least 533 plate appearances last year.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman reports