DUNEDIN, Fla. -- To give veteran third-base coach Brian Butterfield more time to recover from an offseason knee replacement, manager John Farrell is likely to do some realigning of his staff for at least the early part of the regular season.
Butterfield will continue his duties as infield instructor, while also serving as bench coach. Gary DiSarcina, who was hired this season to be the bench coach, will coach third. Ruben Amaro, who coached third for most of Spring Training in place of Butterfield, will return to his regular role of coaching first.
It should be a temporary arrangement that works comfortably. Butterfield was a bench coach with the Blue Jays in 2008-09, and this is the seventh year he's worked on the same staff as Farrell. DiSarcina coached third base for the Angels in 2014-15.
"And that would put Butter on the bench until he continues to rehab and gets to the point where he feels he can not only be on his feet for three consecutive hours, but quite honestly, have the reaction time to get out of the way of some line drives from the batter's box," said Farrell. "We would have DiSarcina at third and Ruben at first, and the thinking there is instead of having three guys at new positions, keep it just to two."
Butterfield had his left knee replaced after the 2015 season and the right knee replaced back in December.
When will Butterfield be back at his familiar post in the third-base box?
"We're hopeful it's not too far into the season," said Farrell. "There's been days where he feels like he's getting over the hump but needs more time. We talk every day. And it's just one of those things where he needs additional time. There was a knee replacement in late December. He's still working through it."