The Red Sox are turning to the injured list for help after losing one of their most important everyday players. Boston placed center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Sept. 3, because of a right quadriceps strain and brought up infielder/outfielder Nate Eaton from Triple-A Worcester.
Rafaela had already sat out Boston’s last three games. He can come back as soon as Sept. 13, though that will depend on how the strain responds.
For now, the Red Sox are preparing to manage without another key bat and glove while first baseman Willson Contreras remains out with a hamstring strain that landed him on the IL Aug. 31.
Even with the setback, Boston heads into Sunday’s series finale in Baltimore at 78-65 and firmly in a Wild Card position, with Rafaela’s production a big reason why. Rafaela and Contreras are tied for the team lead in fWAR at 3.9, matching the total Rafaela put up in his breakout 2025 season. In 569 plate appearances this year, he has hit .282/.317/.443 with 16 homers and 17 steals.
The 25-year-old has also given Boston elite work in center field. Rafaela won a Gold Glove in 2025 and could be in line for another one this season after piling up 20 Defensive Runs Saved, 15 Outs Above Average and 15 Fielding Run Value.
Those numbers put him inside the top seven in the majors in each category, including a second-place tie with Yankees left fielder Cody Bellinger in DRS. Only teammate Wilyer Abreu, with 25, has more on the Red Sox.
In Other News...
Red Sox Pitching Depth Gets An Intriguing Boost From Monegros Return
Yordanny Monegros return on Aug. 28 gave the Red Sox system a fresh reminder of why his arm has been worth monitoring. After missing more than a year following Tommy John surgery, the right-hander got back on the mound in High-A and immediately showed the kind of miss-and-limit-the-damage profile that made him an interesting depth piece before the injury. In 1 2/3 innings, he did not allow a hit or a run, struck out three and walked three.
For Boston, it is the sort of developmental checkpoint that matters even if the box score is only a snapshot. Monegro had already shown strong results in High-A and Double-A before getting hurt, with solid ERA, strikeout and walk numbers, and his first outing back offered a hint that the organization may have another arm moving back into the conversation. The next step is seeing whether he can keep building on it now that the long rehab road is behind him. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Are Winning In Baltimore With A Formula That Travels
Sonny Gray gave the Red Sox exactly what a contender wants on the road, working seven scoreless innings while keeping Baltimore off balance and giving Boston a chance to settle into the game. The lineup did its damage late, and the 5-0 win fit the kind of formula that tends to travel: steady pitching, clean defense and enough patience to wait for the right inning.
Boston has now stacked a pair of shutouts in the series and moved to 77-65 while taking a 3-0 lead in the four-game set. What stood out in this one was how the offense kept finding its way through with two outs, turning pressure into production in the sixth and seventh and leaving the Orioles with another long night trying to answer back. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Are Building Momentum At The Perfect Time
The Red Sox have spent the weekend doing exactly what a club wants to do in September: stack wins and keep the pressure on. Boston has taken the first three games of its series against the Orioles, surviving a 6-5 opener before grinding out a 1-0 win and then pulling away for a 5-0 victory, with contributions from Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Eli White and Connor Wong helping keep the offense moving at the right time.
Sonny Gray set the tone in the finale with seven shutout innings, and Boston now has one more chance to keep the run going before turning the page to a three-game set with the Angels. The bigger picture is starting to take shape here, because a team that was looking for rhythm a short time ago suddenly has some, and the timing could hardly be better. [Read more 🡒]