Alex Cora: Red Sox’ pickup of Travis Shaw was ‘under the radar’ addition

Travis Shaw wasn’t in the Red Sox’ initial lineup on Saturday night, but he was taking batting practice and knew there was a chance he could play. J.D. Martinez, a late scratch on Friday, was still dealing with a back issue and wasn’t a sure bet to play.

When Alex Cora told him at the end of batting practice that Martinez was indeed out and he was in the lineup, Shaw was more than ready. It showed, as he produced two of the biggest hits of the night — a three-run homer in the third and the ultimately game-winning RBI single in the 10th — that lifted the Red Sox to a resilient 9-8 win over the White Sox.

“Even when I’m not playing, I try to stay ready just in case something like this happens,” Shaw said. “You never know when this could happen, especially late in the year. Guys are grinding a little bit on their bodies, so I stayed ready and thankfully had a good night.”

It’s a role he’s still getting adjusted to.

In his first stint with the Red Sox, he was an everyday player. That continued as he was traded to the Brewers, then joined the Blue Jays and the Brewers again. But since joining the Red Sox a second time after being designated for assignment in mid-August, he’s been used more of as a spark plug off the bench, providing quality pinch-hit at-bats or starting in an emergency basis like on Saturday.

He’s succeeded in the role partly at least because it seems like he’s embracing it.

“This is kind of the first time I’ve been in this role and I’ve tried to ask some guys who have been in this role in the past, like, ‘How do you do it? How do you stay ready?’” Shaw said. “For me, I just continue to prepare like I’m playing every day. That’s the only way I can keep my body going and try to stay up on all the pitchers and the matchups that I might face late in games with relievers. For me, it’s still new. I’m still trying to get used to it, but kind of learning on the fly here and so far it’s been turning out pretty well.”

The Red Sox’ signing of Shaw didn’t garner much attention after his struggles the past few years and an injury spell this season. But whether it’s the walk-off grand slam he hit to beat the Rangers on Aug. 23, his performance on Saturday or his ability to work deep counts, his addition has certainly been impactful.

“He’s always ready, he’s always prepared,” Cora said. “The at-bats since Day 1 in New York, 3-2 count, line drive to left with the bases loaded, and so on and so on. He’s a veteran guy and understands his role. He’s always ready and I think that was a very under the radar pickup by us and he’s done an amazing job.”