Red Sox won't activate healthy Ramirez until he can play defensively

The Boston Red Sox appear to be in no rush to activate Hanley Ramirez from the disabled list.

Sidelined since Aug. 26 with shoulder inflammation, the Red Sox have already decided that Ramirez won't play in the outfield again this season and aren't prepared to put him back in the lineup until he feels comfortable at first base.

"What was outlined to him was that until he can play on both sides of the ball, he wasn't going to be activated," Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo told Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal.

"We know he could probably get up there and swing the bat, but it's not going to do anybody any good at this point in time. We want to make sure that when he comes off the DL he's ready to play defense."

Following an unsuccessful experiment with Ramirez in the outfield this season, the Red Sox have shifted the 31-year-old over to first base, where he's been taking reps and working with infield coach Brian Butterfield for the past several weeks.

"There's so much footwork that goes on around first base that you can't predict," Lovullo said. "You're going to throw off one side of your body on one play, the other side the next play. You just have to get a feel for it, and you've got to make the plays."

Ramirez, who is owed $68.25 million over the next three seasons, has battled shoulder issues since running into the left-field wall at Fenway Park in early May.

With 16 games remaining, the Red Sox are on pace to finish last in the division for the third time in four seasons.