Ceddanne Rafaela’s return is starting to come into focus for the Red Sox, and the update out of Saturday was a welcome one for a team trying to get its center fielder back in the mix before the stretch run.
Rafaela has been out since Sep. 2 with a right quadriceps strain, but he told Tom Caron of NESN that the plan is to keep building in Texas before a possible activation next weekend against the Tampa Bay Rays. The goal, as Caron relayed it, is to get Rafaela back after he ramps up his running progression and clears the final hurdle.
"Rafaela said aftere a work out on [Sunday], he's hoping to ramp up the running program in Texas," Caron said. "If there are no setbacks, then he will be activated in Tampa. Giving him 10 regular season games to get back up to speed before the postseason."
Ceddanne Rafaela spoke to @TomCaron pregame, and says he's looking to be back next weekend in Tampa 👀 pic.twitter.com/E4OsebQvJm
That lines up with what Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said earlier in the week. Tracy said Rafaela was moving in the right direction and had already resumed hitting, jogging and throwing.
The final box to check, Tracy noted, was sprinting. Rafaela is eligible to come off the Injured List on Tuesday, though Tracy also made clear Boston was not expecting him back immediately.
The schedule gives the Red Sox a clean runway. Boston has a day off on Monday before facing the Rangers from Sep. 15 through Sep. 17, then opens the Rays series on Friday, Sep. 18 and plays through Sunday, Sep. 20.
If Rafaela is back for the opener in Tampa, he would have exactly nine games to get ready for the postseason.
The Red Sox will be eager to get him back for more than just the bat. Before the injury, Rafaela was hitting .282/.317/.443 with a .760 OPS, 16 home runs, 70 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, 32 doubles, three triples and 67 runs scored across 135 games. He has also been a force defensively, sitting in the 99th percentile in outs above average with 15 and looking poised for a second straight Gold Glove Award in center field.
Boston has plenty of outfield options, but there’s no question Rafaela gives the club a different level of impact when he’s right. The encouraging sign for the Red Sox is simple: his return appears close, and he should have a chance to get meaningful at-bats before what looks like a New York Yankees Wild Card series on the road.
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