At the first crack of the bat on September 23 at Fenway Park, Ceddanne Rafaela was off. The outfielder made one of his typical, but ever impressive diving plays to rob Steven Kwan of a hit as Boston Red Sox fans collectively exhaled.
Rafaela on Wednesday night was fresh off the injured list after 20 days resting a quadriceps strain and the heroics on the grass were a sign he was feeling back to normal. But that relief only lasted one more inning, as Rafaela appeared to limp and flex his leg after his second-inning single.
The Red Sox pulled him before the third inning started and Boston immediately feared the worst. However, in an in-game interview with Buster Olney, manager Chad Tracy described Rafaela's pain as "cramping," which Rafaela echoed after the game. He said the injury is "not even close" to being as severe as his previous quad issue.
"I was happy to make a play right there for Sonny [Gray], then with the swing, felt a little bit of cramp, I was not happy in that moment," Rafaela said. "...Hopefully it's just something maybe today or tomorrow, I don't know, and go from there."
Ceddanne Rafaela, Chad Tracy say the outfielder had a cramp when he was pulled from Wednesday Red Sox game
Rafaela mentioned that dehydration could've played a part in the cramp. He also said he underwent treatment for the cramp after the game and felt "much better." He's still scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday, but he seems certain that everything is alright (subscription required).
The Red Sox don't have a perfect record of injury diagnoses this year but Tracy and Rafaela's confidence is promising. If they're right and Rafaela will be healthy in a day or two, Boston will have dodged a serious bullet.
Rafaela has been one of the Sox's top offensive producers all season, with a career-best .284/.319/.444 slash line over 136 games. He's hit 32 doubles, three triples and tied his career high 16 home runs.
The first play of Boston's September 23 game against the Cleveland Guardians showed just how important Rafaela is to the best playoff run the Red Sox can make. Rafaela is one of the best defenders in the sport and his incredible athleticism has kept the Red Sox in so many games and saved just as many. His unrivaled tracking ability and commitment to every ball that comes his way will go far in the postseason, if all is truly well with his leg.
The Red Sox's offense hasn't looked right in September, but Rafaela made an immediate impact upon his return with a long, Fenway Park single in the second inning. He wasn't in the game long enough to help the Red Sox win by more than a 1-0 margin, but he'll be a critical presence in the postseason lineup if his MRI comes back clear.
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