It was hard to get a read on Alex Verdugo when being around baseball players was an actual thing.
When the Red Sox were cruising through Spring Training 1.0 the then-23-year-old was showing up for rehab work while most everyone else was putting on their uniforms for an actual game of baseball. Verdugo's back wasn't quite ready, leaving him on the outside looking in when it came to actually living life as a plausible piece of the Red Sox' April roster.
He seemed energetic and affable enough, explaining the problems with that first Dodgers' diagnosis involving his stress fracture and how he had finally found the right rhythm that would get him back on the field. There were stories about ice fishing at his grandparents in International Falls, Minn. and the inevitable thoughts on being the centerpiece in the Mookie Betts trade.
Verdugo didn't play Friday night, despite some lobbying to manager Ron Roenicke. His mark was left by serving as one of the two players who knelt for the National Anthem, joining teammate Jackie Bradley Jr.
"What went into my decision? Just me personally, I felt like that was the right thing to do," said the outfielder from Arizona. "I have all the respect in the world for everybody, the veterans, anybody who’s ever fought for our country and put their lives out there for that. I think me kneeling was more just to show that there’s injustice and inequality going on in the world and it’s just something I feel like was important for both myself and also to have Jackie and just let everyone know personally where I’m at, where I stand. I think there’s a lot of things that need to be addressed and I want to bring attention. That’s all. I want to use my platform to have a little bit of awareness, maybe help out a little bit."
But in the Red Sox' second game against the Orioles -- what would end up becoming a 7-2 loss for the home team -- Verdugo got the nod. He played right field and hit sixth. (Click here for the entire box score.)
What we witnessed was pretty much what was advertised.
The outfielder glided around in the field much like Kevin Pillar had the night before, showing off range and an above-average arm when given the opportunity. And at the plate he came away with three hits, including an eighth-inning single against Baltimore lefty Richard Bleier.
"Obviously, it was amazing to get out there again and to play and finally have my first game as a Red Sox under my belt was huge," he said. "Obviously, at the end of the day, we wanted a different result. I want a win. That’s mainly what I care about, but yeah, I think at the plate, on the bases, first and thirds, reading dirt balls and really all that. I played my normal game today. I just went out there relaxed, stuck with my approach and stayed within my element and you guys got a little glimpse of it today."
"So a lot of energy is right," Roenicke said of Verdugo. "He's emotional and he's fun to watch. So when things are going well, I think everyone is really going to like him."
About that emotion ...
"It was a long time. It was definitely a long fight and a long way back," he said. "There was a lot of ups and downs during the rehab. Even in this summer camp spring training, there was just grinding, working through my swing, working through getting my back muscles, working through getting every back to opening up and firing at game speed. Today, just seeing another team, seeing someone else’s jersey out there gives you that adrenaline to kind of lock it back in."