In his own words: Middlebrooks on going down to AAA PawSox

Photo from USA Today

Will Middlebrooks has had a tough season, to say the least. He's struggled all season at the plate, which has resulted in Jose Iglesias taking his starting spot. In his own words, going down was "hard to swallow" at first, but he also writes on ESPN Boston that "It was a really good time for me to grow up." He has also said his lower back strain has been feeling better, but he also said that while his back was hurting, his swing didn't feel right.

Now, he says his swing is more consistent (just an aside - he hit 2 home runs and 4 RBIs on Sunday), which can only mean good things if you're a fan of his (like me). A multi - homer game hopefully means he's starting to get back to where he needs to be. Me? I'd like to see him back in the big leagues as soon he can and I'd also like to see some healthy competition at third base. Right now, the job just about belongs to Iglesias, but he's been filling in for Stephen Drew at shortstop while Drew is hurt. Once Drew gets back, he'll take over at shortstop and Iglesias will move back to third. From what I've watched in the past couple of days, none of the guys are serious contenders to play every day.

Middlebrooks is taking the right approach to the situation. Like he said, going down to the minors is a tough thing to deal with, but the to get back to the big leagues is with hard work and patience and Middlebrooks is displaying both.

Twitter - @ConorJF1016
Conor Frederick
Contributing Writer