The Red Sox had Jahmai Jones in the leadoff spot, then suddenly didn’t.
That was the jolt on Monday afternoon at Fenway Park, where Boston opened a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks in a matchup carrying postseason weight for both clubs. Jones, who has been on a tear since arriving in a trade last month, was initially penciled in atop the order against left-hander Mitch Bratt. A few hours before first pitch, though, the Red Sox sent out a revised lineup with Jones nowhere to be found.
Nick Sogard replaced him in the leadoff spot, while Mickey Gasper - recalled from Triple-A on Sunday to fill in for the injured Masataka Yoshida - slid into Jones’ designated hitter role and hit eighth. The updated lineup read: Sogard 2B, Rafaela CF, Abreu RF, Contreras 1B, Rutschman C, Durbin 3B, Monasterio SS, Gasper DH, White LF, Gamboa P.
Boston had not offered any explanation for the late scratch at the time of publication, and no reason had been reported to our knowledge.
Jones’ impact since joining the Red Sox has been impossible to miss. In 14 games and 25 plate appearances, he has put up a 1.433 OPS and driven in six runs. That kind of production looks even louder when stacked against what he did earlier this season with Detroit, where he posted a .440 OPS and a minus-1.2 bWAR across 57 games.
If the absence turns out to be injury-related, Boston could feel it immediately, especially against left-handed pitching. Jones had also been contributing against righties lately, which only sharpened the concern. On the other hand, an injured list move would create an opening for one of three rehabbing major leaguers this week: Trevor Story, Roman Anthony, or Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
For now, the Red Sox are waiting for answers, and so is everyone else.
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Bostons bullpen has been taxed enough that the Red Sox had to reach back to Triple-A for another arm, turning to Wyatt Olds as the pitching staff continues to absorb the wear of recent exhaustion and injuries. Olds, a Red Sox draft pick from 2021, has earned a quick path to the majors and joins the roster with a chance to help stabilize a relief corps that has been asked to cover plenty of ground.
Olds is lined up to make his major league debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a notable moment for a pitcher still taking his first step into MLB. To clear the roster spot, Raymond Burgos was sent back to Triple-A, another sign of how fluid Bostons bullpen picture has become while the team tries to manage bodies and innings at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have One Huge Adley Rutschman Concern
Adley Rutschman arrived in Boston with the kind of rsum that usually gives a lineup credibility from the start, and the Red Sox knew they were getting much more than a warm body behind the plate. A three-time All-Star with above-league-average offensive numbers in his past, Rutschman has long been viewed as a catcher whose value comes from both his bat and his steadiness, which is why the early season has felt so jarring while he works back from injury.
The offensive results have not come close to matching that track record, and the concern in Boston is less about one bad week than whether the slow start lingers long enough to matter. Rutschman has said he is focused on sticking with his process and not making drastic changes, which is the right approach on paper, but it also leaves the Red Sox waiting for the version of him they expected to get in the first place. [Read more 🡒]