Red Sox Lineup vs. Braves: Caleb Durbin Writing Is on the Wall

The Boston Red Sox don't have Caleb Durbin in the lineup right now.

May 10, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) throws to first base for an out during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox will look to get back into the win column on Wednesday night against the Atlanta Braves and will do so without Caleb Durbin in the lineup once again.

The young infielder is sitting for the second straight day with Isiah Kiner-Falefa getting the start at third base instead against a right-handed starter. On Tuesday, the Braves sent righty Spencer Strider to the mound. On Wednesday, the Braves are scheduled to roll with righty Bryce Elder.

The offense was actually good on Tuesday, despite a loss. Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela led off the game with back-to-back homers and Boston put up six runs, but lost 7-6. When the Red Sox announced their lineup for Wednesday night's contest, it was the same as Tuesday night's.

Red Sox Lineup vs. Braves (May 27, 2026)

May 14, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) makes a catch for an out against the Philadelphia Phillies during the third inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

1. Jarren Duran, LF
2. Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
3. Wilyer Abreu, RF
4. Willson Contreras, 1B
5. Masataka Yoshida, LF
6. Mickey Gasper, C
7. Nick Sogard, 2B
8. Marcelo Mayer, SS
9. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, 3B

SP. Connelly Early

The biggest takeaway, of course, is Durbin not being in the lineup once again. Over the last few weeks, we've seen his playing time start to go down. This is yet another example. Since May 15, Durbin has played in seven games of Boston's 10 games and now will sit again on Wednesday. Since May 15, he has gone 1-for-13 from the plate with two strikeouts and zero walks. That's a .077 batting average and .077 on-base percentage. It's certainly not good.

Overall, Durbin has played in 48 games and is slashing .163/.241/.238 with a .479 OPS. On top of this, he has just one homer, 16 RBIs and eight doubles. Durbin has played good defense, but the offense hasn't followed and he's clearly not a clear-cut starter for the team at the moment.

Because of that, he should get sent down to Triple-A soon. If he's not going to be playing every day, he should be down in Triple-A getting consistent at-bats in an environment with less pressure to hopefully get this thing back on track. The Red Sox acquired Durbin for a reason this past offseason. Last year, he finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year Award race and he's just 26 years old. He can help this team out for years to come, but Boston has to get him on track.

The rest of the lineup isn't crazy. Kiner-Falefa has been playing well and hit a homer on Tuesday. He should be in the lineup right now.