David Ortiz makes first home start at first base since 2005

(Getty Images) Looking to shake up his lineup a bit and buy some rest for veterans Mike Napoli and Hanley Ramirez, Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell wrote David Ortiz’s name into the lineup at first base on Sunday.

That may not seem like a big deal on the surface, but it kind of is when you consider Ortiz has not started a home game at first base since July 16, 2005. That’s a nearly 10-year stretch between home starts at first base. In fact, we’re just 11 days short of celebrating the 10-year anniversary.

That’s a long, long time, even in baseball years.

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Ortiz’s first base appearances are typically reserved for Boston’s interleague games in National League parks, when the designated hitter rule disappears. In fact, Ortiz hasn’t even started a non-interleague game in the field since Aug. 5, 2006, when he also started at first against the Tampa Bay Rays. And even on those occasions it’s a decision the Red Sox have to wrestle with.

That speaks to how unusual the arrangement is, and, quite frankly, how ill-suited Ortiz is for playing in the field, especially now at age 39. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t looking forward to it.

“When I play first base, it’s kind of fun because I’m not just thinking about hitting,” Ortiz said. “My only problem is I’m not 20 anymore, so it catches up with me at some point, but it’s fun. When I play first base every once in a while, it distracts me to something else, know what I’m saying? Which is good, because when you’re thinking about hitting, hitting, hitting, hitting, and at the time you’re not swinging well, you probably get stuck on that.”

The distraction may do Ortiz some good. He enters play on Sunday hitting just .230/.322/.428 with 14 homers and 41 RBIs. The power numbers are on track and the overall numbers really aren’t that bad for a 39-year-old DH. However, the Red Sox need more and Ortiz has shown he’s capable of doing more, hitting .298/.389/.556 over the past four seasons.

The one start may or may not help Ortiz in the long run, but Farrell’s focus is clearly on buying some rest for Hanley Ramirez and mental rehab for Mike Napoli.

On Sunday, Ramirez is handling DH duties as a way to get him off his feet and out of left field, where he’s struggled to adjust in Fenway Park. He’s actually done quite well in his DH starts already this season, hitting .333 with four homers in six games, so it’s a role he seems comfortable in.

As for Napoli, he gets the day off on Sunday after going 0-for-9 with four strikeouts and an error during the first two games against Houston. His season batting average dropped to .192. With Boston also off on Monday, he’ll have two days to recharge and refocus.

“Today’s lineup, I think gives us the best lineup we can put on the field,” Sox manager John Farrell said. “Recognize that it’s been quite some time since David has played first base in an American League game. It also gives us the ability to put [Alejandro] De Aza in left field. It’s about putting the best lineup on the field today.”

That’s an interesting quote that seemingly leaves the door open for Ortiz to play some more first base down the road. Farrell wouldn’t confirm or deny any plans, simply stating that he didn’t know how frequently he’d consider it.

It’s something worth watching at least, and we definitely will be watching on Sunday.

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