The Red Sox already dropped the opener of their four-game series with the Yankees on Friday night, but Saturday gives Boston two shots to punch back. The day starts with a 1:05 p.m.
ET matinee, then rolls straight into a nightcap at 7:15 p.m. ET.
Boston’s first assignment comes against Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón, with Jake Bennett lined up to oppose him. For Game 2, Max Fried is set to start for New York, while Boston has not announced its pitcher yet.
The lineup watch has been centered on Roman Anthony, and that won’t change for this doubleheader. Neither Anthony nor Trevor Story will be activated. Boston did get some help, though, with Garrett Whitlock coming off the Injured List, and Raymond Burgos joining the big league club as the 27th man.
For Game 1, Boston is leaning heavily right-handed against Rodón. That setup likely explains why Jarren Duran is not in the lineup.
Jones is at the top of the order, and his production since arriving in July has been hard to miss. In 20 games with Boston, he is hitting .481/.576/.926 with a 1.502 OPS, along with two homers, six RBIs, three stolen bases, four doubles, and one triple.
He’s given the Red Sox the lefty-mashing presence they’ve been missing.
Last season, that job belonged to Rob Refsnyder and Romy González. Refsnyder is gone before the 2026 season, and González is now in the minors. If Jones keeps punishing lefties, the role looks like his to hold.
Bennett is making his 16th start of the season. He enters with a 3.49 ERA and a 67-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 87 2/3 innings.
His last meeting with the Yankees came on June 27, when he worked 6 1/3 innings and allowed just one earned run. Boston would gladly take that again.
Rodón has logged 11 starts this year and owns a 3.15 ERA. Since returning from the Injured List, he’s been strong.
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Yankees Just Added A Former Mets Prospect Fans Never Expected
The Yankees added a familiar name to their system this week, signing outfielder Jarred Kelenic to a minor-league deal with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Once one of the more talked-about prospects in the Mets organization before being dealt away, Kelenic now lands on the other side of New York as a depth move for a club trying to keep its upper-level roster stocked for the stretch run.
Kelenic has continued to show he can hit in the minors, even if that success has not yet translated into consistent results in the majors. For the Yankees, the appeal is less about an immediate big-league role and more about adding an experienced outfielder who could help the RailRiders as they push toward the postseason, while leaving open the question of whether there is still another step left in his career path. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Suddenly Have An Internal Answer To A Messy Infield Decision
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Roderick Arias may have given them an internal option worth watching. The prospect has shown better offense and enough defensive flexibility to handle both second and third base, which gives the Yankees a possible path if they want to reshape that side of the diamond for 2027. It is still early, but for a club trying to balance present contention with future stability, Arias has quietly become part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Fans Can Already Laugh At Boston's Adley Rutschman Gamble
Bostons bid to land Adley Rutschman has already turned into a rough early return for a move that cost the Red Sox a haul of top prospects, including Harold Rivas as the player to be named later. Rutschman was supposed to help stabilize the middle of the lineup while bringing his well-regarded defense behind the plate, but the offensive side has not come close to matching the price Boston paid.
Since the trade, Rutschman has struggled badly at the plate, hitting .133 in 45 at-bats and posting a weak overall line that has only sharpened the scrutiny on the deal. The glove still gives Boston something to point to, but with the bat not following and the prospect package already out the door, this is the kind of gamble Yankees fans can enjoy watching from a distance. [Read more 🡒]