Using a borrowed glove from Mike Napoli, Hanley Ramirez took his place at first base yesterday morning for the first time this spring.
Day 1 of his training didn't last long, about 15 minutes of fielding grounders and handling throws from second base. One of the game's most well-respected infield instructors, Brian Butterfield, was stuck indoors for team meetings, so Ramirez handled just the basic responsibilities without much intensity.
It's likely to get a lot more difficult from here.
Surely the Red Sox have learned from their mistake last year, when they started Ramirez off slow in left field, didn't push him too hard in spring training and asked him to avoid making plays that would put his fragile body in danger.
At first base, there's less room for error. Ramirez could be involved on every play. How hard he runs after fly balls shouldn't matter now, but fierce focus and sound footwork will become priorities.
Ramirez doesn't seem too nervous about it.
"No, no, no," he said. "Maybe I'd be more nervous if I had to go back to shortstop. But at first I just have to keep my eyes on the ball the whole time."
Appearing a bit more trim than he had looked when he finished the 2015 season on the 15-day disabled list, Ramirez emerged from the indoor batting cages early Wednesday morning and headed to a nearby practice field, where he accidentally began warming up with the pitchers. When lefty Eduardo Rodriguez motioned to Ramirez that the hitters were on a different field taking batting practice, Ramirez walked over to join the rest of the position players.
He took a few rounds of swings on the field and said his top hand felt stronger than it did last year, when he felt like a left shoulder injury impacted his power.
The 32-year-old then took his spot at first base.
"If I stay on the field the whole season, 150-plus games, good things can happen," Ramirez said afterward. "And the goal is to go to the playoffs first. That's the first goal."
Ramirez said he's been training at his Miami home with a Red Sox staff member for the last five or six weeks, altered his diet and has lost only a couple of pounds, "but the difference is it's more muscles that I have right now and I feel really good and I'm more athletic."
Asked about what happened in 2015, when his left-field play was so disastrous he was removed from the position in August, Ramirez shook his head.
"Oh my God," he said. "That's in the past. It was a horrible year. We didn't go to the playoffs. It's not one person. We stayed together, the whole team. It was bad."
Ramirez did his part to help the Sox in April, when he hit 10 home runs with a .999 OPS. He was never a smooth operator on the defensive side, but the Sox weren't too concerned as long as he swung the bat with authority.
Once he collided with the left-field wall trying to make a catch in May, Ramirez stopped hitting. The shoulder injury wasn't originally expected to have a lasting impact, but injuries haven't been too quick to heal for Ramirez in recent years.
Since he made three straight All-Star Game appearances while hitting .314 with a .917 OPS from 2008 through 2010, Ramirez has averaged just 114 games per season, hitting .271 with a .797 OPS.
It's unlikely the Sox would ask Ramirez to play 114 games at first base this season. A more realistic goal might be 100 games, which would allow up-and-comer Travis Shaw (13 homers, .813 OPS in 65 games last year) to stay involved while Ramirez could provide 40-year-old David Ortiz with some valuable rest at designated hitter.
The Sox don't need Ramirez to be a Gold Glover at his new position. He simply needs to play it adequately while providing the offense worthy of his $22 million annual salary.
If that were the case, he could then replace Ortiz as the full-time DH next year. But Ramirez isn't committed to that plan.
"What if I win a Gold Glove, then what's going to happen next year?" Ramirez said. "It's too far (in the future). I don't make those decisions. I've got a boss."
His current boss, Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski, has made no guarantees when predicting how Ramirez might handle first base. But Dombrowski has spoken confidently about Shaw's capability and opted not to look for outside help at the position via free agency or trades.
Utility man Brock Holt can be used at first base, Allen Craig is still trying to make a comeback and the Sox are high on 22-year-old first baseman Sam Travis, who had a .384 on-base percentage in Double-A Portland last year.
Ramirez will likely have to perform to keep his job. If his transition to first base isn't smoother than his transition to left field, the Sox may have no choice but to make a quick change.
Ramirez remains optimistic.
"This is going to be exciting," he said.