DH days good for Abreu’s English
HOUSTON — Jose Abreu is doing more time as a designated hitter, and for him, “doing time” is a good choice of words, in any language.
Abreu doesn’t like it, but he tolerates splitting time between first base and designated hitter with Yonder Alonso. The toughest thing about it for Abreu, the Sox’ two-time All-Star first baseman, is finding things to do between at-bats. It would be easy to spend all of it taking swings in the cage behind the dugout, but that can be counterproductive, he said. So he has taken to doing things like polishing his English.
“[Sunday], for example, I was in the dugout with [Ivan] Nova and [Jose]
Rondon, and they were trying to teach me English,” a laughing Abreu said Monday through a translator. “Just a way to spend time, have fun during the game and not overthink about the game. It’s a way to stay loose and keep learning English.”
Abreu has been noticeably more freespirited in the dugout during games when he’s not playing first base, as he did Monday. Even though he’s been going through a rough stretch — a 5-for-32 rut over his last eightplus games before doubling off the wall in the fourth inning against Astros starter Brad
Peacock — the last thing he wants to do is bear down in the cage.
“I just find a way to not take too many swings, because that gets me too tired for an at-bat,” he said. “So I find ways to stay loose and joke around with the guys.
“When I’m passing through a tough moment, it’s best for me to step back and not overthink my hitting. When you dwell on the things you’re doing wrong all the time, as opposed to what you’re doing right, you create a mess. I’ll think about life and things outside baseball.”
The only Sox player to appear in all 46 games this season, Abreu has DH’d 14 times compared to 32 playing first base. The first base/DH split was 114/13 last season, 138/18 in 2017, 152/7 in 2016, 115/39 in 2015 and 109/35 in 2014, so he’s well on his way to a career high for DH work at age 32. Manager Rick
Renteria’s intent is to keep Abreu’s legs as fresh as possible, and it doesn’t hurt that Alonso, while struggling with a .181 average entering Monday, is capable defensively.
Palka on fire
Outfielder Daniel Palka, who went 9-for20 with three homers in six games with Class AAA Charlotte last week, was named International League Batter of the Week for the period of May 13-20.
In total for May, Palka is hitting .364 with eight homers, one double, 16 RBI and 19 runs scored.
Palka led the Sox with 27 homers last season but slumped miserably to start the year and was optioned to Charlotte on April 13 after going 1-for-35 over his first 13 games.
Relaxin’ Jackson
Andy Masur is filling in for Darrin Jackson (vacation) in the Sox’ radio booth alongside Ed Farmer. Masur will work all four games of the Astros series. He also will give Jackson a break when the Sox are in Oakland on July 12-14.