Still, Iglesias still must prove he's a competent hitter if he's going to stay in the majors once Drew returns, especially with top prospect Xander Bogaerts nipping at his heels.

"In the past, he used to give a lot of at-bats away just by swinging at pitches out of the strike zone, making soft contact," Rodriguez said. "Now it looks like he's in a better position when he swings. He has better control of the barrel of the bat, he's squaring balls better. Overall, he's stronger, his daily routine is better."