Red Sox Skipper Gives Take on Caleb Durbin After Sunday Benching

Can MLB's worst qualified hitter right the ship?

Apr 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) hits an RBI double during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Among all the Boston Red Sox's struggling players, Caleb Durbin might be under the most scrutiny.

Coming to Boston in a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers is a tough task in terms of media and fan base pressure. Durbin struggled at the beginning of his rookie season last year for Milwaukee as well, but the slump in his first 42 games for Boston has been more drastic, and it's earned him a lot more blowback.

On Sunday, Durbin will be on the bench as the Red Sox look to win a series against the Atlanta Braves. Nick Sogard, who was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Saturday, will start in his place against right-handed starter Grant Holmes.

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How Chad Tracy views Durbin's struggles

May 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) looks to the umpire to see if he was safe sliding into third base against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Interim manager Chad Tracy put a lot of the focus on Sogard and how he thought the 28-year-old could help Boston "in a lot of ways," per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. But he also gave an honest indication of how he and the team viewed Durbin's issues, and how he was hoping the 26-year-old could get through them.

“He’s just struggling,” Tracy said, per Cotillo. “I think you guys know that and I think he knows that. You see little flashes at times. He’s just struggling and the ball is getting in on him some. Working on timing and things like that. We’ve just got to keep pushing along and find breathers for him when we can.”

As many Red Sox fans were likely aware, Durbin entered Sunday with the worst OPS among all qualified hitters across Major League Baseball at a putrid .491. In a painful indication of how bad Boston's offense has been, he was joined by two teammates, left fielder Jarren Duran and shortstop Trevor Story, in the bottom 10 of that category.

The whole world can see that Durbin's been pressing since day one, as he opened the season on a 0-for-19 streak and really hasn't recovered. His only home run came against a position player, and his batting average has yet to climb above .182 for the season.

Will a day or two on the bench help sort him out? Will the Red Sox eventually have to consider optioning him to Triple-A for a total reset? The longer we have to ask those questions, the worse a sign it is for this team's languishing offense.