Ceddanne Rafaela needed only three pitches Wednesday night to show the Red Sox what had been missing for three weeks. Boston’s center fielder sprinted into the right-center gap and left his feet to rob Cleveland leadoff hitter Steven Kwan of extra bases, setting an early defensive tone in a 1-0 victory over the Guardians.
A return that began with a game-saving look
Rafaela had been sidelined since Sept. 3 by a right quadriceps strain, and his first night back offered an immediate reminder of his range in center. Sonny Gray, who earned the win, saw the catch as a defining moment before the game had properly settled in.
“I told Rafa right at the start that it changed the game,” Gray said. “That was the first hitter of the night.”
Boston had also been waiting for Rafaela’s bat. Entering Wednesday, he was enjoying the strongest offensive season of his three full big-league campaigns, carrying a .282 average with 16 home runs, 70 RBIs and 17 stolen bases. Though he has generally hit second this season, he was placed sixth in the order for his first game off the injured list.
- Rafaela returned after missing roughly three weeks with a right quad strain.
- He made a diving catch on Cleveland’s Steven Kwan three pitches into the game.
- Boston beat the Guardians, 1-0.
- To activate Rafaela, the Red Sox optioned outfielder Nate Eaton to Triple-A Worcester.
A single, then a concerning trip around first
The night changed during Rafaela’s first plate appearance in the bottom of the second. He drove a ball off the left-field scoreboard for a single, but appeared to labor while running up the first-base line. Once he reached the bag, he began stretching his right leg.
Manager Chad Tracy and trainer Brandon Henry checked on him at first base. Rafaela initially remained in the game, but the club made another move when he went out to center to begin the third inning. Tracy and Henry came back onto the field, and Jarren Duran took over in center.
The initial designation was right hamstring tightness. Rafaela did not believe it resembled the injury that had kept him out since early September.
“It’s nowhere close,” Rafaela said when asked to compare the feeling with his quad strain. “I think it was a cramp. Maybe I didn’t drink enough fluids. It happened there, and I didn’t want to push it trying for a double. Trace was protecting me, especially with important things ahead. I think that’s all it is.”
Boston will check the hamstring
Tracy said the early signs were encouraging, but the Red Sox will not assume the issue is insignificant. Rafaela is scheduled for imaging Thursday, including an MRI, to make sure there is no more serious hamstring problem.
“Everything looks OK at this point,” Tracy said. “They’ll do a scan and MRI tomorrow to rule anything out, and then we’ll move forward from there.”
For Rafaela, the quick exit put a sharp turn on a day he had anticipated for weeks. He had spent the previous couple of weeks building toward his return and was energized to be back in the lineup and back in his usual patch of outfield grass.
“I was excited starting yesterday because I knew I’d be back with the boys,” Rafaela said. “Getting that first chance in center made me happy. I made the play for Sonny. Then I got the hit, felt the cramp on the swing, and I wasn’t happy after that.”
He left the ballpark hoping the setback was no more than a brief interruption. “Whenever I come out of a game, I’m obviously unhappy,” Rafaela said. “But hopefully it’s something small.”
