After a slump that saw them lose six of eight games, the Boston Red Sox rebounded by winning the first two games of a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles, including a 1-0 squeaker on Friday.
The Red Sox look to build on those wins when they face the Orioles at Camden Yards Saturday for Game 3, with a 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch scehduled.
But before the game, the Red Sox announced a conspicuous absence from their lineup. Why was ALl-Star, Gold Glove center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela sitting out for a third straight day?
Eli White was again pencilled into interim manager Chad Tracy’s lineup in center, batting eighth. Rafaela last appeared Wednesday against Seattle, leaving Boston’s 8-3 loss in the seventh inning after playing through discomfort in his right quadriceps. Rafaela remains absent from Boston’s lineup Saturday, and the club has not announced an injured-list move.
Until now, Rafaela has been one of Boston’s most durable players this season. His 135 games played entering the weekend ranked second on the club, and the workload appears to be part of the explanation for the current shutdown.
| BOSTON RED SOX STARTING LINEUP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP: Sonny Gray (RHP) • 16-4, 2.82 ERA | ||||
| September 5, 2026 • Baltimore, MD • 7:05 PM ET • Red Sox at Orioles | ||||
| # | Player | Pos | AVG | SLG |
| 1 | Roman Anthony | DH | .259 | .407 |
| 2 | Mickey Gasper | 1B | .283 | .513 |
| 3 | Wilyer Abreu | RF | .257 | .466 |
| 4 | Trevor Story | SS | .227 | .335 |
| 5 | Nick Sogard | 3B | .262 | .411 |
| 6 | Isiah Kiner-Falefa | 2B | .272 | .352 |
| 7 | Jarren Duran | LF | .204 | .361 |
| 8 | Eli White | CF | .240 | .389 |
| 9 | Connor Wong | C | .237 | .356 |
| Lineups confirmed. Season stats shown (AVG / SLG). | ||||
Right Quad Remains Day-to-Day
The injury is described by the team as right quadriceps tightness and soreness, not a newly announced strain. Interim manager Chad Tracy said the issue became more apparent after the sixth inning Wednesday, when the game had tilted heavily toward Seattle and the Red Sox had little reason to keep Rafaela on the field. Boston is monitoring Rafaela’s right quad daily before returning him to the lineup.
“He’s still sore, so still some tightness and soreness in there,” Tracy said Thursday.
That prompted treatment, rest and a deliberate approach rather than a timetable. Tracy said it was too early to decide whether the absence would last a day or two, adding that Boston would wait for “good improvement” before using Rafaela again. The manager also pointed to the accumulated effect of a season in which Rafaela has played almost every day.
Rafaela, for his part, called the injury “a little tight” and said it was “not something that is a big deal.” He said the decision to sit was precautionary and that the quad was not at 100 percent.
No 10-day IL placement has been announced, and none has been publicly indicated as imminent. For now, the designation is day-to-day. But three consecutive absences mean the club is not treating Saturday as an automatic return date.
| BALTIMORE ORIOLES STARTING LINEUP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP: Chris Bassitt (RHP) • 6-4, 4.97 ERA | ||||
| September 5, 2026 • Baltimore, MD • 7:05 PM ET • Red Sox at Orioles | ||||
| # | Player | Pos | AVG | SLG |
| 1 | Jackson Holliday | DH | .236 | .357 |
| 2 | Blaze Alexander | 2B | .316 | .429 |
| 3 | Gunnar Henderson | SS | .221 | .399 |
| 4 | Pete Alonso | 1B | .267 | .498 |
| 5 | Samuel Basallo | C | .228 | .423 |
| 6 | Heston Kjerstad | RF | .000 | .000 |
| 7 | Christian Encarnacion-Strand | 3B | .269 | .427 |
| 8 | Dylan Beavers | LF | .245 | .383 |
| 9 | Colton Cowser | CF | .215 | .366 |
| Lineups confirmed. Season stats shown (AVG / SLG). | ||||
A Short Skid After a Breakout
Rafaela entered Wednesday hitting .282/.317/.443 with 16 home runs, 70 RBIs, 17 stolen bases and 67 runs in 135 games. His season line remains a career high in both batting average and OPS, even after a quieter stretch at the plate.
Over his past seven games, Rafaela went 6-for-27 (.222) with four RBIs, no homers and no runs scored. The broader 15-game slump has lasted a little more than two weeks: 15-for-63 (.238), two runs and zero home runs. His 30-game production has been more stable — a .271 average with four homers — but the recent power outage has been clear.
He went hitless in consecutive games at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 29 and 30, then drove in three runs during a 2-for-4 game against Seattle on Aug. 31. Rafaela followed that with an 0-for-3 on Sept. 1 and a 1-for-3 effort Wednesday before exiting.
Born Sept. 18, 2000, in Willemstad, Curaçao, Rafaela is listed at 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds and bats and throws right-handed. Rafaela has played 471 major-league games since debuting with Boston on Aug. 28, 2023. He entered Saturday with a career .258/.295/.414 line, 49 homers, 213 RBIs and 59 steals.
The Red Sox signed Rafaela as an international free agent in 2017, then committed to him with an eight-year extension through 2031, including a 2032 club option. The deal was reported at $50 million. A 2025 Gold Glove winner in center field and a 2026 All-Star replacement, Rafaela has also retained his infield versatility — though Boston’s immediate concern is getting his quad right before asking for it again.
Why is Ceddanne Rafaela Not in Red Sox Lineup Today? Is He on Injured List?