Red Sox Forced Into Late Lineup Change With Ceddanne Rafaela

The Boston Red Sox got back into the win column on Saturday, but more bad news came on Sunday.

When the Red Sox initially shared their lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Cleveland Guardians, center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela was in the lineup. But, Boston shared an updated lineup before the contest and Rafaela was scratched.

UPDATED 5/31 at CLE:
Duran CF
Gasper 1B
Abreu RF
Yoshida LF
Kiner-Falefa 2B
Durbin 3B
Mayer SS
Wong DH
Narváez C
Suarez P
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 31, 2026

The Red Sox Outfielder Was Scratched

May 27, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (3) singled to left to drive in two runs against the Atlanta Braves in the fourth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reported that the reason why Rafaela was scratched was due to a sore lower back. Healey also reported that the reason why Willson Contreras wasn't in the lineup on Sunday was to give him some rest after "occasionally" hyperextending his elbow/arm on swings.

"Ceddanne Rafaela has a sore lower back from a recent dive in Boston, Chad Tracy said. So the Red Sox want to give him today plus the off day tomorrow," Healey wrote. "Willson Contreras occasionally hyperextends his elbow/arm on swings, so Tracy likewise wants to give him a rest."

Unfortunately, this is a perfect summation of the Red Sox's 2026 season. Boston took a positive step on Saturday against Cleveland only to get not-so-good news about one of its most consistent players in Rafaela. On the bright side, it doesn't sound like Rafaela and Contreras are out of the lineup for anything serious, but this has been the story of the 2026 Red Sox. One step forward, and two steps back. That's not all as well. It was reported that Garrett Crochet had a setback in his recovery and isn't expected to face hitters on Tuesday, which was the expectation.

All of the positivity from Saturday's win was quickly squashed on Sunday morning. And now the club needs to react. On the injury front, the club has been snakebitten all season. Also, the messaging from the team around injuries has been tough, especially when it has come to Roman Anthony.

So, now we wait for more. Again, it doesn't sound like Rafaela or Contreras is dealing with anything serious. Boston also has a day off on Monday, so this very well could just be a way to give two key cogs of the organization some extra rest. But that doesn't mean that it isn't concerning. With all of the other injury updates throughout the season so far, the only way to really be confident is if Rafaela and Contreras are back in the lineup on Tuesday. Until then, we'll wait for more information.

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