The Boston Red Sox lost Wednesday’s series finale against the Seattle Mariners at home by a final score of 8-3. Even with the series loss, Boston remains in position to earn a spot in the American League wild card race for the second consecutive season.
The priority moving forward will be not only securing their spot but also getting as close to full strength as possible before October arrives. That means keeping all their core players healthy, including center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela.
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Rafaela departed Wednesday’s game in the top of the seventh inning with backup outfielder Eli White entering in his place in center field. After the game, interim manager Chad Tracy provided the reasoning behind his exit.
Tracy revealed that Rafaela is dealing with quad tightness and with the game out of reach he decided the smart move was to not push it and remove him from the contes, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
Given Tracy’s comments, Rafaela should be back in his usual spot in center field when the Red Sox open a huge four-game set against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday. However that is not guaranteed, and his status will need to be monitored heading into the series.
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Rafaela has been a major reason the Red Sox have been so successful this year. Across 135 games, the 25-year-old has posted a .282 batting average, .317 on-base percentage, .760 OPS, 16 home runs and 70 RBIs.
He has also displayed his speed as usual, grading out as one of the best defensive players in MLB while swiping 17 bags on the season. Further updates on his condition will continue to be monitored.
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