New day, new position for versatile Holt

BOSTON -- Brock Holt does few things that surprise manager John Farrell, but even the Red Sox's skipper has been impressed by how quickly Holt has adapted to the outfield.

On Saturday, Holt played right field for the first time in his career. He played left field once in Detroit and for three games in Baltimore.

"It's his ability to adapt to a new position as quick as he has that's surprising," Farrell said. "Knowing how he is as a competitor and his baseball intelligence, that's not surprising. The ability to adapt is."

Holt played mostly second base coming through the Pirates' Minor League system, but when he was acquired by the Red Sox in December 2012, he needed a new position. The 5-foot-10 utility man played 21 games at third base this season before shifting to first for about a week with Mike Napoli on the disabled list.

With Stephen Drew back on the club and Xander Bogaerts sliding to third, Holt appeared to be the odd man out in a crowded infield. However, his .331 average and .823 OPS have kept him not only in the lineup, but in the leadoff spot. It's just his defensive spots that change.

"He's always hit for high average primarily playing second base, but the athleticism, we felt he could be a utility type," Farrell said. "But I think he's exceeded the versatility on the defensive side."