When the Boston Red Sox acquired infielder Vaughn Grissom in a trade with the Atlanta Braves for Chris Sale, Alex Cora's club was expected to have their second baseman for at least the 2024 season if not the next few years.
However, due to multiple hamstring injuries and a serious illness that cost him 14 lbs. earlier in the year, Grissom has appeared in just 23 games for the club, hitting just .148 with a .367 OPS and three RBIs.
With the emergence of David Hamilton at second base, it's fair to ask where Grissom fits in when he eventually does return to the lineup. However, at this point, Cora is worried about getting him healthy before anything else.
“I think we just need to get him healthy and we’ll go from there,” Cora said (via. MassLive). “He hasn’t been healthy the whole time. The most important thing for us right now is to get him as healthy as possible so he can become the player that everybody envisioned.”
Sharing a similar sentiment, Grissom isn't focused on winning his job. He just feels the need to get back to the field.
“I just want to play my game and if they like it, they like it. If they don’t, (expletive) it,” Grissom said. “I’m here for a reason. I’m sure there’s a next guy up if they don’t like it. That’s the ever-revolving door of baseball. Just trying to play my game and help the team win.”
Hamilton has had some hot stretches and hasn't been making his daily errors anymore, so there's a chance that he gets the majority of the at-bats at second base with Grissom filling in here and there.
It would honestly be better for Grissom getting consistent bats, but with the way the Red Sox have been playing over the last month, it may not be smart to mess with things.
