After a red-hot summer that all but guaranteed the Boston Red Sox a playoff berth, things have stopped going their way. They've lost six of their last eight games, key bats are slowing down, the rotation is exhausted, the defense has been sloppy and Willson Contreras is on the injured list.
Just when it felt like little more could go wrong, the Red Sox pulled Ceddanne Rafaela from their September 1-2 losses against the Seattle Mariners. Rafaela left both games due to quad tightness, according to interim manager Chad Tracy (via Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, subscription required).
Boston is used to Rafaela playing nearly every day and seeing him leave games at any point is concerning. He's posted 135 games so far this year after logging 156 in 2025 and 152 in 2024.
Rafela's elite defense in center field makes him irreplaceable with anyone else on the Sox's roster and losing him to the injured list would be brutal, especially this close to the postseason. Tracy said Rafaela wanted to remain in the game despite his quad issue, but it makes sense to rest him before the injury gets out of hand, like Contreras' finally did after weeks of managing discomfort.
Red Sox pull Ceddanne Rafaela from Mariners loss with quad tightness
Chad Tracy provides an update on Ceddanne Rafaela after he left Wednesday’s game with quad tightness. pic.twitter.com/wxmp9ityGE
— WEEI (@WEEI) September 2, 2026
During his postgame press conference, Tracy didn't mention an IL stint as a possibility, but he said the team would check in with Rafaela before its September 3 game against the Baltimore Orioles. The Red Sox have the outfield depth to absorb the loss of Rafaela if he does need to sit out, since Roman Anthony is healthy, and Eli White and Jahmai Jones have played well since their arrivals in Boston, but losing him is still the last thing Boston needs.
Rafaela is batting .282/.317/.443 with 32 doubles, three triples, 16 home runs and 70 RBI this season. His 151 hits are tied for 10th-most in MLB and he's tied for fifth in doubles. He leads all American League outfielders in outs above average and ranks second in MLB with 20 defensive runs saved, behind only Wilyer Abreu.
The Red Sox need to rest Rafaela when they can and their two blowout losses to Seattle gave Tracy a perfect time to do it. Not only is the outfielder one of the best players on the team this season, he has the clutch gene like few other players Sox fans have ever seen, and his quad needs to be healthy before the postseason so he can keep working his magic.
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