HOUSTON – It’s no longer unusual to see Josh Rutledge in the Red Sox lineup, even against right-handed starters.

Perhaps most importantly, Rutledge made a little leap to snag a line drive that got the Red Sox out of a jam on Friday night.

As it played out last night, four or five of what you envision taking place, the balls that are chopped, there's the potential for infield base hits, and we feel like the increased range is needed against this club particularly, particularly on this surface.”

Heading into spring training, Rutledge seemed more or less locked in as the Red Sox right-handed utility man, likely to see significant playing time against lefties ahead of the switch-hitting Sandoval and left-handed hitting Brock Holt.

Marrero filled the hole for a while because of his slick glove, but he’s been optioned to Triple-A to give the team an extra reliever, and so it’s now Rutledge who’s emerged at a position where he actually has relatively limited experience.