The Red Sox have spent plenty of this season managing injuries, and Ceddanne Rafaela is the latest name on that list.
Boston placed Rafaela on the 10-day injured list with a right quadriceps strain, a move that was made retroactive to Thursday. ESPN reported: “Boston Red Sox outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela has been placed on the 10-day injured list because of a right quadriceps strain.
Boston made the announcement Sunday before finishing off a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles with a 3-1 victory. The move is retroactive to Thursday,” ESPN wrote.
The timing matters because Rafaela has been one of the most productive players on the roster. He leads the Red Sox with a .282 batting average and 151 hits, and both marks are also tops in the organization. He’s posted a .760 OPS and a 5.5 WAR, which is the second-highest total on the team.
There doesn’t appear to be any indication that this is a major setback, but there is clearly something going on with his right quad, and the hope is that he can return soon.
Boston also has a cushion that gives it some breathing room here. The Red Sox are already seven games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians for the third Wild Card spot, so there’s little reason to push Rafaela back before he’s ready.
Of course, nothing is guaranteed in baseball, and the Red Sox have seen enough injury chaos this year to know that. But with their playoff position in a strong place, the smarter play is obvious: protect Rafaela and keep him healthy for the stretch run.
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