Red Sox to move Hanley Ramirez to first base

Ron Clements

Red Sox to move Hanley Ramirez to first base image

Hanley Ramirez broke into the majors as a shortstop and was a three-time All-Star at the position. The Red Sox admit moving him to left field this season was a failed experiment, but one they hope to remedy by moving Ramirez back to the infield.

Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com Ramirez will move to first base, a shift that could take place by the end of this season, but will be the full-time plan for Ramirez next year while he gets coached up by infield instructor Brian Butterfield and teammate David Ortiz.

MORE: Greatest Red Sox players ever

"We're going to make some adjustments based on what Butter sees," Lovullo said. "We're not going to rush and say that there's a firm date he's going to be in a game. There's a lot of information.

"It's going to be a crash course, and for him to play in a Major League game at first base, Hanley has to be 100 percent comfortable. He's going to tell us when that is. If he's not, we're looking to see what we can do for 2016. That's the whole idea. We want to make sure we have everything in order for this team to move forward today, tomorrow and in the future."

Ramirez is welcoming the move, saying that his 12th MLB season will be an adjustment, but he's "not scared" to try something new.

"Just the footwork... find the bag with your left foot and go from there," Ramirez sad. "It's going to take a little adjusting. The other question is, 'Am I going to play there this year?' Maybe yes. Why not? If I feel good, I'll go out there. I'm not scared. I'm born for this and I can play, and I'm really happy to be in the lineup.

"I think it's going to be a good challenge, because I think with me at first, we're going to have a better team on the field, competing every day."

Ron Clements