Red Sox Get Best-Case Ceddanne Rafaela News After Hamstring Scare

The Boston Red Sox can let out a sigh of relief for center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela.

Aug 28, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela (3) at bat against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Take a breath, Boston Red Sox fans. Ceddanne Rafaela is alright.

On Wednesday, Rafaela returned from the Injured List after missing nearly a month due to a quad injury. Rafaela immediately showed what he could do on Wednesday night with an acrobatic diving catch for the very first out of the game.

Ceddanne Rafaela is back on the field and right back to making dazzling plays 🤩 pic.twitter.com/DjbQjWuwNl

— MLB (@MLB) September 23, 2026

Rafaela went 1-for-1 at the plate as well, but he was forced to exit in the third inning after his hamstring cramped up. The club called it right hamstring tightness and he shared after the game that it felt like a cramp. It was announced that he was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Thursday and it seemingly came back clean because he was in Boston's announced lineup for its series finale against the Cleveland Guardians.

Getting ready for Game 3. pic.twitter.com/3ZMAvskPF2

— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 24, 2026

There couldn't have been a better update for Boston when it comes to the All-Star center fielder. On Thursday, Rafaela said that he hoped his exit would be just a one- or two-day thing. A day later he's back in the lineup and batting sixth for the second straight game.

Rafaela is a game-changer when he is in the lineup and out in center field. Again, he showed this on the very first play of the day in his return on Thursday after missing 17 games. It took one play for Rafaela to fully sprawl out and rob the Guardians of a base hit. This is a guy who is in the 99th percentile in baseball with 16 outs above average. His fielding run value is also in the 99th percentile. He's also tied for third in the league in general with 21 defensive runs saved. Rafaela is a special player, even without his bat.

What makes him even better is the fact that his bat has started to catch up to his defense in 2026. Rafaela has played in 136 games and is slashing .284/.319/.444 with a .763 OPS, 16 homers, 70 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, 32 doubles, three triples and 67 runs scored. Rafaela is in second place on the Red Sox's roster with 5.5 wins above replacement. To have him back — and to be able to let out a breath after Wednesday's scare — is great for the Red Sox.

The second Willson Contreras comes back, this lineup is going to be cooking. Fortunately, he has been taking batting practice and should be back soon.