It echoes Durbin\u2019s rookie season in 2025. In spring training and after his mid-April promotion to the majors, he had a hard time playing third base, grading out as a well-below average defender for at least the first month.<\/p>\n
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But he steadily improved, posted strong overall advanced metrics, and upon joining the Sox, convinced team officials to leave him there (with Marcelo Mayer at third second, as opposed to vice versa). Even as he has slumped at the plate in recent days, Durbin has been sound in the field.<\/p>\n
This time, Durbin seeks a turnaround on the offensive side.<\/p>\n
How did Durbin figure it out on defense?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way Durbs has done everything: He conquers. Durbs just figures out a way. He\u2019s that kid,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cHe\u2019s uncommon, and he\u2019ll get through this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murphy made a natural comparison, referencing struggles from also-short Dustin Pedroia \u2014 his player at Arizona State University in the early 2000s \u2014 early in the 2007 season, which ended with Pedroia winning American League Rookie of the Year.<\/p>\n
Early that year, Murphy got a call from Pedroia\u2019s wife, Kelli, who asked Murphy to give him a pep talk.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re Dustin Blanking Pedroia. Don\u2019t ever forget that. Look around. Everybody in that stadium you\u2019re going to play with tonight is bigger, stronger, faster. How did you get there? Don\u2019t blanking forget that,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cAnd he said, and I quote, \u2018Thanks, Murphy.\u2019 And I quote, \u2018I\u2019m about to put the Red Sox Nation on my back.\u2019 And he did. Check the numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Story in a spot<\/p>\n
Alex Cora\u2019s rejiggered lineup Monday featured Masataka Yoshida not only earning another start, but batting second, Wilyer Abreu bumped up one spot to fourth, and Trevor Story dropped from second to fifth.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, see if it works, right?\u201d the manager said. \u201cHopefully a different spot helps you to unlock it and relax but \u2026 you can\u2019t control the at-bat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Story\u2019s struggles have stood out amid the team\u2019s poor performance. He entered the week batting .119 (five hits in a league-leading 42 at-bats) with zero walks and 17 strikeouts. In the field, he had committed three errors, one per series.<\/p>\n
Cora said he decided on changing Story\u2019s slot now \u201cbecause of the at-bats\u201d Sunday, when Story went 1 for 5 with two strikeouts against the Padres<\/a>.<\/p>\n Familiar-ish face<\/p>\n Among the other pieces of the Sox-Brewers trade: Milwaukee called up righthander Shane Drohan, former Sox prospect<\/a>, for the first time Monday. Murphy said he would pitch this series, maybe in a start Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that it\u2019s happening here, a place that he aspired to pitch in, is pretty cool,\u201d Murphy said.<\/p>\n Uberstine sent back<\/p>\n With Garrett Whitlock back from the paternity list after a few days home in Alabama, the Red Sox sent Tyler Uberstine back to Triple-A Worcester \u2026 A major drag in Patrick Sandoval\u2019s rained-out rehab start with Double-A Portland on Sunday: He had made the five-hour car ride to New Jersey on Saturday, woke up to a postponement, then took six hours to get back to Boston \u2026 The Red Sox sent minor league righthander Patrick Galle to the Cardinals to complete the Sonny Gray<\/a> trade \u2026 The Astros\u2019 Yordan Alvarez was named AL Player of the Week. That makes the Sox 2 for 2 in facing the hitter who went on to such an honor, following the Reds\u2019 Sal Stewart beating up on them in the first series<\/a> \u2026 A quartet of Celtics threw out ceremonial first pitches: Derrick White, Ron Harper Jr., Sam Hauser, and Baylor Scheierman \u2026 Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick, a Lexington native who played at Boston College, was pleased to report that for this series, he gets to stay at his offseason home in Boston.<\/p>\n Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @timbhealey<\/a>.<\/p>\n