Iglesias walks in footsteps of mentor at 2B

BALTIMORE -- For most accomplished shortstops, being asked to switch to second base can be a bit of a letdown.

But for Jose Iglesias, playing second base in his reunion tour with the Red Sox is an honor that allows him to pay tribute to the most influential mentor in his career.

Not long after Iglesias defected from Cuba and signed with Boston in 2009, Dustin Pedroia took the kid under his wing and told him everything it would take to succeed in the Major Leagues.

“What did Pedey not tell me? He told me everything every day,” said Iglesias. "I’m very close to Pedey, and I think the player I became, he’s a huge part of it.”

A few weeks ago, when he was playing shortstop for the Angels, Iglesias probably never imagined he would be holding down Pedroia’s old position for Boston in a heated postseason race that will likely come down to the final game of the regular season and perhaps beyond.

It’s safe to say that nobody in Red Sox history has played in more big games at second base than Pedroia.

“That’s another thing that I’m taking very seriously in playing that position,” said Iglesias. “Every time I step in there, I’m thinking about Pedey. How respectful he was to the game and how hard he worked. For me to come in here and play that position, I always have Pedey in my mind to do it right for the team. For me, when I’m stepping there, I know it’s Pedey’s position, so I’ve got to do it right.”

“Iggy is making me proud!!! He is doing a great job,” Pedroia wrote to MLB.com in a text.

Prior to Sept. 10, when manager Alex Cora gave Iglesias his first start of the season at second, he had started only one game there in his career -- back in 2010.

The acclimation didn’t take long.

“I feel more comfortable for sure. The first game or so, it was a little challenging, the angles and timing and this and that,” said Iglesias. “But it took me like two days to get an idea, before I was very comfortable out there.”

And with five games left in the regular season, including Wednesday’s game in Baltimore, there stands a decent chance that Iglesias will be at second each day. Since he arrived, he has been a big help to the club with his bat and glove.

If the Red Sox achieve their goal of making it to the postseason, the season will come to a grinding halt for Iglesias. Because he didn’t join the organization until after Sept. 1, he isn’t eligible to play for the Red Sox after the regular season. He would be able to play in any tiebreaker game prior to the Wild Card Game.

“It is what it is. If we make the playoffs, that’s something where I’ll most definitely be happy for the whole team. This is not about me,” Iglesias said. “This is about the team and just coming here and continuing to help them in my role and doing what I need to accomplish, [which] is continue to help the team on a daily basis, and whatever happens, happens.”

The Red Sox will likely extend Iglesias an invite to stay on the bench for the postseason, even though he will be ineligible to play.

“Yeah, we’ll see what the options are,” said Iglesias. “As of right now, we just take it one day at a time. The priority is win tonight, and that’s the only thing we have on our mind.”

Vázquez takes over as first-base coach
Starting with Tuesday night’s game against the Orioles, the Red Sox moved quality control coach Ramón Vázquez to the first-base coach’s box. The reason? Tom Goodwin, the team’s regular first-base coach, is not vaccinated.

MLB recently informed all teams that only vaccinated staff would be allowed to be on the field and in the dugout during the playoffs.

“We have to prepare for the postseason if we get there, and obviously, MLB ... mandated or decided the staff has to be vaccinated,” Cora said. “As you guys know, Goody is not, so we’ve got Goody on the bench working with the outfielders, and Ramón will be coaching first the rest of the season.”

Pitching plans
Cora’s plan is for Nick Pivetta to pitch Thursday’s series finale against the Orioles, with lefty Eduardo Rodriguez opening up the series in Washington against the Nationals on Friday night.

Saturday and Sunday is where the plans are in flux.

Tanner Houck, Boston’s fifth starter, recently moved from the rotation to the bullpen. Houck threw 41 pitches in Tuesday’s 4-2 loss to Baltimore at Camden Yards.

If the Red Sox don’t need Houck in relief on Thursday, he could start on Saturday. The alternative is likely some type of bullpen game.

The Red Sox have ace Chris Sale lined up to pitch Sunday’s season finale if they still need to win that game to clinch a postseason berth. Otherwise, he would be held back to pitch in the Wild Card Game.