Rafaela is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest versus the Mariners.
Rafaela started the first two games of the series and reached base four times, but he'll take a seat in Thursday's matinee. Kristian Campbell is in center field for the Red Sox, while David Hamilton is getting a start at second base.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Returns to action Tuesday
Rotowire
Rafaela went 2-for-3 with a walk, two stolen bases and two runs scored in Tuesday's 8-3 win over the Mariners.
Rafaela was back in the lineup after getting a day off Monday. The free-swinging Rafaela has put together a few good at-bats recently, but overall he's batting just .229 with a .622 OPS through 22 games this season. The two steals give him six for the year, tying him for the team lead with Jarren Duran and Trevor Story.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Getting locked in
Rotowire
Rafaela went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored in Saturday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the White Sox.
Rafaela registered a hard-hit double one day after poking his first home run of the season. His swing may be coming around following a season-opening slump. Four of his last seven balls in play have had exit velocities of over 100 mph, including an opposite-field lineout with an expected batting average of .580. Boston manager Alex Cora told Sean McAdam of MassLive.com following Saturday's game that the hard-hit lineout the opposite way was a tell-tale sign that Rafaela is getting locked in.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Crushes first homer amid struggles
Rotowire
Rafaela went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's win over the White Sox.
Rafaela crushed his first homer of the season Friday, extending Boston's lead to 6-1 in the fourth inning. The speedy 24-year-old hasn't been able to gain much steam yet in 2025, slashing a weak .213/.273/.295 with one triple, 10 RBI, nine runs scored and four stolen bases across 66 plate appearances (18 games). The righty-hitting Rafaela has reverse splits so far this season, batting .217 versus right-handed pitching and .200 against southpaws in the early going.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Returns to lineup Tuesday
Rotowire
Rafaela went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Tuesday's 7-4 win over Tampa Bay.
The struggling Rafaela returned to the lineup after sitting out the first game of the series. He entered Tuesday batting .220/.291/.260 with a 46 percent chase rate over 55 plate appearances. Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Christopher Smith of MassLive.com on Tuesday that Rafaela has been "swinging a lot" and wants to see the outfielder be more selective. The manager added that even when there are pitches to hit, Rafaela is rushing his swing.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: On bench to start twin bill
Rotowire
Rafaela is out of the lineup for the first game of Sunday's doubleheader against the Cardinals, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.
The 24-year-old was scheduled to sit Saturday prior to that game being postponed, and he'll stick on the bench for the opener of the twin bill. Rafaela could use the reset, as he has gone 3-for-26 through eight games this season. Kristian Campbell is instead manning center field, opening up the keystone for David Hamilton.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Included in Saturday's lineup
Rotowire
Rafaela (hamstring) is in the lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.
A bout of hamstring tightness has kept Rafaela out of action since last Sunday, but he is now ready to resume his preparations for the start of the season. Rafaela wasn't much above replacement level last season by fWAR, but he moved the needle for fantasy managers with 15 homers and 19 steals in 152 games. The 24-year-old is expected to once again serve as Boston's primary center fielder in 2025.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Could be back this weekend
Rotowire
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Rafaela (hamstring) will do some running Thursday and could return to Grapefruit League play this weekend, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.
Rafaela hasn't played since Sunday because of hamstring tightness, but he is making progress and it doesn't sound like his absence will extend much longer. The 24-year-old is expected to be Boston's primary center fielder this season.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Will focus primarily on CF
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Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said earlier this week that the plan is to keep Rafaela in center field next season "as much as possible," Sean McAdam of MassLive.com reports.
Rafaela made 72 starts in center field, 71 starts at shortstop and four starts at second base in 2024. Center field is his best defensive position, and he will no longer be needed at shortstop, provided the Red Sox get a healthy season out of Trevor Story. The Red Sox have an opening at second base, but the club wants Rafaela to focus on one position, believing his production could have been affected in 2024 because he was bouncing around to different spots. There could be a potential outfield playing time crunch on the horizon, however, with Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu on the roster and top prospect Roman Anthony nearly big-league ready. Rafaela might see fewer starts at that point, or Boston could reconsider using him in the infield.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Getting rest Saturday
Rotowire
Rafaela isn't in Boston's lineup Saturday versus the Rays.
Rafaela is just 5-for-35 with five RBI over his last 10 games and will grab a seat on the bench to begin Saturday's contest. Vaughn Grissom will get the nod to start at second base and bat ninth.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Absent from lineup
Rotowire
Rafaela is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Toronto, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.
Rafaela appears to be receiving a routine day off after he started each of the previous five contests. Jarren Duran will shift over to center field in Rafaela's stead, and Enmanuel Valdez will cover second base for the Red Sox.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Taking seat Thursday
Rotowire
Rafaela is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest in Tampa Bay, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Rafaela is getting a breather after going 1-for-16 with seven strikeouts across his last five games. Nick Sogard will cover second base and bat ninth for the Red Sox.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Out of Saturday's lineup
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Rafaela isn't in the Red Sox's lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
Rafaela has been held hitless in eight at-bats through the first two games of the series, and he'll now get a chance to regroup as he sits Saturday. Enmanuel Valdez will start at second base and bat ninth.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Knocks in four in win
Rotowire
Rafaela started in center field and went 2-for-4 with a double, four RBI and a run scored in Monday's 12-3 win over the Orioles.
Rafaela gave Boston separation late in the game with a two-run single in the sixth inning and a two-run double in the eighth. It was assumed he'd move to second base with the return of shortstop Trevor Story from the 60-day injured list, but Rafaela has played only center field since, while Romy Gonzalez and Enmanuel Valdez handled second. Rafaela could eventually shift back to the infield, and it would seem to make sense as the Red Sox have a several outfield/DH bats that would be more dangerous in the lineup than the Gonzalez/Valdez duo.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Sitting Sunday
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Rafaela is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.
Rafaela will begin Sunday's contest in the dugout after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Saturday's 7-5 win over the White Sox. Enmanuel Valdez will start at second base and bat ninth against White Sox right-hander Chris Flexen.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Starts in center field
Rotowire
Rafaela started in center field and went 0-for-4 in Saturday's 7-5 win over the White Sox.
The return of shortstop Trevor Story was initially expected to move Rafaela to second base, but Red Sox manager Alex Cora put him in the outfield. Rafaela is fighting it right now and is 5-for-40 (.125) over his last 12 games.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Provides winning knock
Rotowire
Rafaela went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 7-5 extra-inning win over the Tigers.
Boston's bullpen blew another late-game lead, but the Red Sox were rescued by Rafaela, who launched a two-run homer in the 10th inning. The home run was the 14th for Rafaela after he went 24 games without a long ball.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Delivers run in loss
Rotowire
Rafaela went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Sunday's 4-2 loss to the Orioles.
Rafaela delivered Boston's first run with an eighth-inning single. The Red Sox had been 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position at that point. Rafaela is batting .321 (34-of-106) in 28 games since the All-Star break but has just two extra-base hits and seven RBI over that same stretch.
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Pops homer in win
Rotowire
Rafaela went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's 11-6 win over Texas.
Rafaela stretched Boston's lead to 9-3 with a two-run homer in the sixth inning. It was his 13th home run, and he's chipped in 57 RBI as the team's nine-hole hitter. Rafaela has hit safely in 12 of 13 games coming out of the All-Star break, going 17-for-52 (.327).
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Red Sox's Ceddanne Rafaela: Momentum-shifting homer
Rotowire
Rafaela went 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in Friday's 9-7 win over the Yankees.
In a back-and-forth affair, Rafaela launched a momentum-shifting, two-run homer in the seventh inning before Boston plated three more in the next frame. The home run re-energized Fenway Park, which had just seen Aaron Judge hit a missile, measuring 470 feet off the back wall in center field. It was the 12th home run of the season for Rafaela, who is 9-for-29 (.310) with a home run, three RBI, three steals and five runs in seven games since returning from the All-Star break.
