The Boston Red Sox enter Tuesday night’s series opener against the Cleveland Guardians having already clinched a postseason berth and holding an 84-72 overall record.
Ahead of the matchup, however, Red Sox manager Chad Tracy, who had the interim tag removed prior to the game, made some notable changes to his starting lineup. One of those changes features former All-Star outfielder Jarren Duran.
Red Sox Make Duran Move
The last time we saw Boston take the field was Sunday, when the Red Sox lost 5-1 against the Tampa Bay Rays and Duran went 0-for-3 at the plate with a walk.
Despite having the day off on Monday, it seems Tracy is committing to platooning Duran more down the stretch amid his struggles this season, as he’s out of the starting lineup for Tuesday’s game.
This comes while both Ceddanne Rafaela and Eli White remain sidelined as well, which is all the more concerning for Duran’s status moving forward. When Rafaela returns, he’ll move back to center field, and with Roman Anthony in left and Wilyer Abreu in right, Duran is the odd man out in this setting.
Here’s the Red Sox starting lineup vs. Guardians:
Via Underdog MLB: “Red Sox 9/22 R. Anthony LF N. Sogard 1B J. Jones DH W. Abreu RF A. Rutschman C C. Durbin 3B A. Monasterio 2B I. Kiner-Falefa SS N. Eaton CF P. Tolle SP.”
Red Sox 9/22
R. Anthony LF
N. Sogard 1B
J. Jones DH
W. Abreu RF
A. Rutschman C
C. Durbin 3B
A. Monasterio 2B
I. Kiner-Falefa SS
N. Eaton CFP. Tolle SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) September 22, 2026
Duran’s 2026 Season
In his sixth MLB season, Duran simply hasn’t found the consistency he hoped for at the plate, despite putting up solid home run and RBI numbers.
Duran has appeared in 145 games for Boston this year and is hitting just .204 with 65 runs, 110 hits, 20 home runs, and 69 RBIs while slugging .362 with a .624 OPS.
Boston Red Sox Make Sudden Jarren Duran Decision Before Guardians Series