For Grissom, one week left to impress Red Sox

This story was excerpted from Ian Browne’s Red Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BOSTON -- As the season winds down for the Red Sox, they will take an extensive look over the final six games at a player who they didn’t see nearly as much of as expected.

That player is Vaughn Grissom, the right-handed-hitting infielder acquired from the Braves on New Year’s weekend.

On Dec. 30, this is what chief baseball officer Craig Breslow had to say about Grissom’s likely role for ’24.

“For us, I think he makes the most sense penciling him in at second base every day," said Breslow. "And at 22 years old, we still think there’s power to come. There’s really strong bat-to-ball skills, and someone whose best years are ahead of him."

Then came Spring Training, when Grissom couldn’t establish any momentum. It turns out that he injured his left hamstring last winter, and spent most of the spring trying to strengthen it.

Activated on May 3, Grissom still didn’t look to be at full strength. After hitting .148 in 81 at-bats, Grissom strained his left hamstring trying to beat out a grounder against the Tigers on June 1.

When Grissom’s Minor League rehab assignment expired on Aug. 8, the Red Sox activated him and optioned him to Triple-A Worcester.

The idea was to get him healthy both physically and mentally after a tough start to his time in Boston. Grissom had structured work days during his time at Worcester while playing in a pressure-free environment.

Grissom at last returned to Fenway Park on Friday, as the Sox needed a player to replace Rob Refsnyder, who went on the injured list with a right forearm strain.

With Rafael Devers (left shoulder inflammation) also getting shut down for the remainder of the season on Saturday, playing time should be plentiful for Grissom over this final week.

“We're gonna get Vaughn as many games as possible this week,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “It will be good. On Friday on the ground ball, he was moving well to first base. That's the fastest I've seen him run. He looks stronger. He's in a good place.”

Cora tried to put Grissom at ease so he won’t press during his window of opportunity this week.

“I talked to him,” said Cora. “I don't want him to come here and think that he has to show us who he is. ‘Just keep doing the things that you were doing in Triple-A. The structure of your work -- pregame meetings, postgame meetings, defensive work -- everything that you were doing down there with [Worcester manager] Chad [Tracy] and the group, we'll do here, and we're gonna help you out.’”

The Red Sox have decisions to make with their roster and lineup for next season. This is a good chance for Grissom to make a lasting impression that he can hold down that starting second-base job -- albeit a year later than expected.

Second base was a revolving door all season, and the Sox had little production from the position outside of David Hamilton, who suffered a season-ending fracture of his left index finger at the end of August.

It will be interesting to see how that second-base spot is configured when Spring Training starts.

“Vaughn is a big part of it. That was a big trade in the offseason. He didn't have a great year, starting in Spring Training when he was banged up,” Cora said. “But this guy has always hit. He looks stronger, and he's moving better. So we'll see what happens in the offseason, but he's part of that.”