BOSTON -- Josh Reddick stood in front of his locker at Fenway Park on Monday afternoon. But there was something missing.
His coveted WWE championship belt was nowhere to be found.
"I've got the wrestling belt over my locker in Oakland," said Reddick. "We took the transition with us. I couldn't leave that puppy behind."
Reddick makes his return to Fenway for the first time since being traded in the offseason for the now-injured reliever Andrew Bailey.
He starts in right field and hits third, in between Coco Crisp and Yoenis Cespedes. Reddick has appeared in 22 of Oakland's previous 23 games to begin the season, and while he enjoyed playing in Boston, he also enjoys being an everyday outfielder.
"It's been fun," said Reddick before Monday's game. I'm still kind of getting used to the everyday starting thing. It's a little different, but I'm loving it. This is what I've been growing up and wanting to do my whole life. So I'm just enjoying the ride as long as I can."
Reddick is hitting .267 with three home runs and six RBI in 90 at-bats, while leading the team in runs scored with 11, entering the series against his old team.
Boston Red Sox
Before the game, Reddick reflected on his time in Boston, and said that the transition to being an everyday player has been a lot easier, thanks to the help of a few former Red Sox teammates.
"I've learned to adapt a lot better," said Reddick. "Last year was a big step for me, being in that other clubhouse with guys like Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz, and Dustin Pedroia. They taught me how to do it every day, and they've been doing it for years. How to mentally prepare and physically prepare, and just go out there and leaving it all out on the field. That's one thing I've taken pride in, is leaving it all out on the field, but learning how to adapt and make changes is a big step for me."