Craig Breslow Addresses Possibility Of Demoting Struggling Infielder
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Despite his offensive struggles this season, Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin has strung together a few solid performances in a row recently.
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The Red Sox have gotten a different version of Durbin this season after an impressive rookie campaign where the 26-year-old infielder slashed .256/.334/.387 with 11 home runs and 53 runs batted in, finishing third in the voting for the National League Rookie of the Year award.
Even after going 5-for-12 across his last three games, hitting three doubles and driving in four runs, Durbin is still only slashing .182/.251/.270 this season. The 26-year-old has been an excellent defender this season, but with how poorly he's performed at the plate, a potential demotion has been looming over him recently.
The Red Sox's chief baseball officer, Craig Breslow, did not dismiss the possibility of sending Durbin down to the minor leagues amid his struggles this season when asked whether it would benefit the team for him to figure out what has been wrong for him offensively and return to form in the minors.
“We, the coaches, (interim manager Chad Tracy) are doing everything possible to get him to perform at the level that he did all season last year, that we know he is capable of. It’s going to turn,” Breslow said on Saturday, per Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. “But we’re constantly thinking about, where’s the best environment for that to happen? But I think it is premature in terms of making decisions.”
It's encouraging that, despite his struggles this season, the Red Sox clearly believe in Durbin and that he's going to turn things around. Boston is in a tough situation, sitting at 24-33, and needs every win the team can scrape together.
Breslow didn't dismiss the possibility of sending Durbin down to the minor leagues for a reason. The Red Sox can't wait all season for the young infielder to return to form.
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