FORT MYERS, Fla. — Enmanuel Valdez’s situation has changed as a result of second baseman Vaughn Grissom’s injury.

Valdez went from fighting for a spot as a bench player on Boston’s Opening Day roster to likely being the starting second baseman when the Red Sox open in Seattle on March 28.

With Grissom (left groin strain) expected to begin the season on the IL, Manager Alex Cora pointed to Valdez as the top option to replace him. But Cora hasn’t told Valdez he’s the frontrunner to be the Opening Day second baseman.

“He hasn’t told me anything yet,” Valdez said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez on Thursday at JetBlue Park. “But if that’s the case, my goal is to keep improving. Keep improving with my defense and keep talking to (shortstop) Trevor Story, who has been a great help for me and who has been a great mentor. I think that communication with him is going to help me to become a better defender.”

The 25-year-old has four extra-base hits (two homers, one double, one triple) in 11 Grapefruit League games so far. Valdez, who made his major league debut last April 19, hit well after the Red Sox recalled him in September. He went 15 for 45 (.333) with a .375 on-base percentage, .556 slugging percentage, two homers, four doubles, eight runs, eight RBI, three walks and 10 strikeouts in 16 games for Boston during the final month.

Valdez looks at his situation the same way as he did before Grissom’s injury. Pablo Reyes, who is out of minor league options, also is in the mix.

“I’m going to keep competing, getting ready,” Valdez said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the Opening Day roster or not, I just want to be ready. Whenever that opportunity comes up, I’m ready to take advantage of it.”

Before Grissom’s injury, Valdez said in February, “I’m ready to help this team win. Even if it’s from the bench, I hope to make the team out of camp. But if not, I’ll be in Triple-A getting ready to come up and take that opportunity whenever it comes. But yeah, I’ll be able to help at any position that they need me.”

There are questions about Valdez’s defense. But there also are questions about Grissom’s glove, as he’s considered a bat-first second baseman.

Valdez worked hard in the offseason to improve his first step and lateral movement. He even spent time working out at the team’s Dominican Academy.

“I’m eliminating bad habits that I have on my defense,” Valdez said. “My main goal is to keep improving every day and try to take advantage of this opportunity.”

THERE IS A human element to baseball injuries that often goes unreported. Take Rob Refsnyder, for instance.

Refsnyder suffered a displaced fracture of his left pinkie toe earlier in the week, sending him to the IL midway through spring training.

It’s expected that Refsnyder will miss somewhere between four and six weeks, and he could be back by mid- to late-April. That’s hardly a career-altering setback.

And yet, for Refsnyder, a career journeyman who has spent time with six organizations over eight seasons in the big leagues, the setback means he won’t be active for Opening Day on March 28 in Seattle. That matters to him.

“This is just a stupid, weird one. It just sucks, honestly,” Refsnyder said of both the injury and the timing. “You dedicate so much time and energy in the offseason. I was feeling good this spring, was putting together some good at-bats. It will be really tough to start back from zero and try to get those feelings again. Spring training is all about that – get some good feels, tinkering with some mechanics, some other cues. It’s just a friggin’ science experiment, so when it feels like it’s coming together, it’s nice, going into the season.

“Opening Day is a special thing. To be able to see a lot of the guys that you’re close with and work out with, and see them go through struggles and trials… Opening Day is just a special thing for baseball players. It would be great to be able to travel (with the team) and see those guys experience Opening Day. You just don’t know how many Opening Days you have. Especially for me, that would be great. But I haven’t really talked about to them about it. It would be cool – but whatever can get me back (on the field) sooner, whether that’s staying here (in Fort Myers) or going up to Boston. We’ll have to wait and see.”

MASATAKA YOSHIDA is no stranger to the DH spot. He filled that role some while in Japan, and last season – his first with the Red Sox – he served as the designated hitter for almost a quarter of the Boston’s games.

But this year, he will be the team’s primary DH is expected to get more than 100 starts there.

Being a DH can be tricky proposition. Some players never get comfortable in the role, while other struggle to find the proper routine. David Ortiz has often said the job is not for everyone.

Yoshida is currently in the process of finding the regimen that works best for him.

“I have some experience,” said Yoshida. “I have my routine. It’s not like I’m always staying in the dugout. I’ll try to get out on the field, see the lights, see what the field is like, (checking) on the weather and wind and things like that. I’m trying to stay active, move around. That’s kind of my routine.”

One thing DHs have working in their favor is time. Without any defensive responsibilities, they have the opportunity to review video in between at-bats – both to monitor their own swing and evaluate the opposing pitcher’s repertoire or tendencies.

“That wasn’t something that we had in Japan,” said Yoshida. “(Having the ability to watch video) was something new and I took advantage of that last year. It’s obviously better to have it than not having access, so it’s helped me a lot.”

While some designated hitters fret that they have too much down time and struggle to feel connected to the action, Yoshida hasn’t experienced that.

“I try to stay engaged and live in the moment,” said Yoshida. “Baseball is about living in the moment.”

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