Blake Swihart. (Elsa/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Blake Swihart was once a top prospect in the Red Sox organization.
He was drafted in the first round 26th overall in 2011, and in the majors in 2015 as a 23-year-old.
But injuries and ineffectiveness have hurt him since. In 109 career games spanning 3 seasons, Swihart's batted .270 with 5 homers and 36 RBI.
Only 25 games the last two years.
Now, though, Swihart's healthy and getting looks all over the field--not just his natural position at catcher, but in the outfield and at first base, too.
"I'm getting opportunities," he said. "It's my job to go out there and prove myself and prove I'm ready to go and prove I can help this team win, so that's what I want to do ... especially when I'm healthy, I love playing. So, if I can go out there and get as many reps as I can, it's almost like a try-out for me, so I'm going to go out there and treat it like that, so that's what I'm going to do."
Does Swihart think his versatility will help him onto the team?
"I hope so," he said. "That's kind of the goal, to be able to be called upon wherever I'm needed so I can get in the lineup."
Sox are out of options on Swihart, so they either have to keep him, move him, or risk losing him.
Nice spring debut yesterday. 1-for-1 with a triple, 3 RBI and 3 runs.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman reports