Red Sox Shake Up Lineup Against Brewers Amid Slow Start

Boston manager Alex Cora makes key changes to the batting order as the team looks to turn things around.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 7:07pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a baseball game or match, with players and field elements fractured into sharp, overlapping planes of color and shape, conveying the energy and dynamics of the sport.The Red Sox lineup shakeup aims to reignite an offense that has struggled to find consistency in the early going.Boston Today

The Boston Red Sox, off to a disappointing 2-7 start, are making significant changes to their lineup for Monday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Manager Alex Cora is moving struggling shortstop Trevor Story down to the fifth spot, while elevating outfielder Masataka Yoshida to the second position and inserting catcher Willson Contreras into the third spot.

Why it matters

The Red Sox offense has lacked consistency to begin the season, and Cora is hoping these lineup tweaks can help jumpstart the team's production. Story in particular has struggled, going just 1-for-13 over the weekend against the Padres, prompting the move down in the order.

The details

Cora's new-look lineup against Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff will have Roman Anthony leading off, followed by Yoshida, Contreras, Wilyer Abreu, Story, Justin Turner, Jarren Duran, Raimel Tapia, and Connor Wong. The manager is hoping the changes can help the Red Sox break out of their early-season funk and climb back into contention in the AL East.

  • The Red Sox are 2-7 to start the 2026 MLB season.
  • Boston lost three straight games to the Houston Astros last week.
  • The Red Sox dropped two out of three games against the San Diego Padres over the weekend.

The players

Alex Cora

The manager of the Boston Red Sox, who is making significant lineup changes in an effort to jumpstart the struggling team.

Trevor Story

The Red Sox shortstop, who has gotten off to a slow start this season, going just 1-for-13 over the weekend against the Padres with 10 strikeouts in 24 at-bats.

Masataka Yoshida

The Red Sox outfielder, who is being moved up to the second spot in the lineup in an effort to provide a spark at the top of the order.

Willson Contreras

The veteran catcher, who is being inserted into the third spot in the Red Sox lineup for Monday's game against the Brewers.

Brandon Woodruff

The Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher, who the Red Sox will face on Monday night.

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What they’re saying

“I still like Trevor Story as a player.”

— Alex Cora, Red Sox Manager

“I think the swing is in a good place. He keeps saying that. And you watch video and yes, it's same timing mechanism, hands placement. The body looks the same. It's just, 'What are we swinging (at)?'”

— Alex Cora, Red Sox Manager

What’s next

The Red Sox will look to turn things around on Monday night against the Brewers with their new-look lineup. If the changes don't produce results, further roster moves could be on the horizon for the struggling team.

The takeaway

The Red Sox are making a concerted effort to shake up their lineup and jumpstart an offense that has sputtered out of the gate. While the team remains confident in Trevor Story's abilities, the move down in the order shows they are willing to try different approaches to get the team back on track early in the season.