The Boston Red Sox made a bold trade to acquire Caleb Durbin from the Milwaukee Brewers this offseason, but the move hasn’t paid off.
Durbin has struggled mightily at the plate, as he’s started just twice in the Red Sox’s last four games. With Boston looking for a sweep against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, Durbin will once again be on the bench as a right-hander starts.
Boston’s lineup is as follows:
- J. Duran LF
- M. Yoshida DH
- W. Abreu RF
- W. Contreras 1B
- C. Rafaela CF
- N. Sogard 3B
- M. Mayer 2B
- C. Narváez C
- I. Kiner-Falefa SS
Durbin sitting is a concern, as Nick Sogard, who Boston called up when Trevor Story was placed on the IL, has been starting in his place. It’s also the third-straight game that Durbin hasn’t been in the lineup when a right-hander is on the mound.
If Durbin can’t even be in the lineup when a right-hander is on the mound, there’s a major question mark on his future in Boston, at least for this season.
Durbin is hitting .169 with 1 home run and 15 RBIs this season with the Red Sox, as his offense has been a major problem.
Durbin Reflects on Rough Start With Red Sox
Boston pulled off a big trade to acquire Durbin to bolster its offense.
However, Durbin has struggled this season, and he opened up on his slow start to MassLive’s Christopher Smith.
“At the end of the day, I want to be here,” Durbin said. “I want to be in the fight with these guys. I’m happy to be a Red Sox, and I’m confident that moving forward, it will turn eventually. But it’s like you want it to turn right now. …
“I care about these guys so much and that’s the tough part,” Durbin said. “Coming over here, first year here, obviously you want to make a good impression and you want to come through for the guys. I haven’t played to my capabilities, but it’s not for a lack of effort and they know that.”
When asked if he needed to be sent down to Triple-A for a reset, he said that it is out of his hands. But, the focus for Durbin is getting back on track and showing why Boston traded for him.
“It’s a bad start, but it’s a long year and you’ve gotta try to find the reason why. Why are the results not where you think they should be, where they’ve been in the past?” Durbin said. “So it’s a daily grind to grind through it. And that’s the thing is you gotta keep a good attitude. As hard as it is sometimes, you’ve gotta accept it for what it is and just keep moving ahead and looking forward.”
Boston acquired Durbin Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler, and a compensation round draft pick in the 2026 MLB draft from the Brewers in exchange for Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton, and Shane Drohan.
Fans React to Durbin’s Slow Start
Durbin hasn’t played well to begin his Red Sox tenure, and with him not in the lineup again, many fans believe he could soon be sent down.
“Caleb Durbin has now sat vs 3 straight righties I think we are approaching the end of the road,” a fan wrote.
“No Caleb Durbin! Let’s go!,” a fan added.
“Caleb Durbin is hitting .133 with a .156 slugging percentage against sinkers this year (and I’m pretty sure the only XBH was a 55 mph double) Last year, those numbers were .303 and .444 Don’t really know how that happened, but they are absolutely cooking him,” a fan wrote.
“I really don’t see an argument for optioning anyone else besides Durbin when Roman is ready,” a fan added.
Boston is off to a 21-27 start.
Red Sox Send Caleb Durbin Concerning Message Amid Ongoing Struggles