Mickey Gasper returns to the Boston Red Sox lineup after one night off in a spot that is not necessarily unfamiliar but comes as a bit of a surprise given his recent usage.
The switch-hitting slugger sat on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Angels and left-handed starting pitcher Reid Detmers. During Gasper’s recent offensive surge, the Red Sox have been careful to get him most of his at-bats against right-handed pitching.
Another potential underlying factor for his success at the plate has been the defensive duties he has been asked to juggle since rejoining the team on Aug. 16. Gasper was used almost exclusively as a DH to finish August, before a Willson Contreras IL stint forced him into action at first base. The 30-year-old has handled these duties well, as evidenced by a 1.671 OPS in August and a .978 OPS in September.
But Wednesday’s lineup card features Gasper batting second and returning to his role behind the plate, catching for starter Jake Bennett. Gasper’s last time catching a major league game was Jun. 22 of this year. He has 24 appearances behind the dish this season, more than his total at DH and first base combined (23).
Gasper’s start marks the second straight night off for Adley Rutschman, who has been handled with care over the past few weeks as he nurses an elbow hyperextension. Rutschman belted a three-run home run on Monday against the Angels and looked great behind the plate, so his absence likely remains an issue of being smart and managing his health down the stretch.
What makes the decision more interesting is what it could signal for Connor Wong. Wong’s role as backup catcher has been somewhat solidified over the past two seasons, but his poor defense and inability to produce competitive at-bats consistently leave clear room for improvement.
If the Red Sox can get Gasper to sustain his offensive production in a backup catcher role, it would be a huge boost for the postseason roster to carry him instead of Wong. As the club gets healthier, they will be faced with a similar roster crunch that got Gasper sent down to Triple-A on Aug. 30 amid his torrid stretch. But as a catcher, Gasper will no longer be the same candidate to be sent down when Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela are ready to come off the IL.
Even when Gasper is not hitting for power like he has in recent weeks, his command of the strike zone and ability to get on base will be extremely valuable for the stretch run and into the postseason. With low chase and whiff rates, alongside a high walk rate, he simply provides a much better at-bat than Wong can. If Gasper can look serviceable behind the plate today and beyond, it may make it an obvious decision for Boston.
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