Ceddanne

Rafaela

Once again, Roman Anthony is in the leadoff spot, he’s just serving as the designated hitter while Jarren Duran patrols the outfield. The only difference between Sunday’s lineup and what the team had been expected to use on Opening Day is Isiah Kiner-Falefa is in there at second base while Marcelo Mayer is riding the pine. He really will need to earn his spot this spring. Here’s the full lineup for Sunday: Roman Anthony (DH), Trevor Story (SS), Jarren Duran (LF), Willson Contreras (1B), Wilyer Abreu (RF), Caleb Durbin (3B), Ceddanne Rafaela (CF), Carlos Narvaez (C), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2B).

Anthony will get a few exhibition games under his belt with the Red Sox before joining Team USA for next month’s World Baseball Classic. The 21-year-old on-base machine’s perch atop Boston’s formidable lineup, which features offseason acquisition Willson Contreras in the heart of the order, makes it easy to project him as an impact fantasy contributor in the runs scored department. His ability to generate consistent hard contact, as evidenced by a 94.5 mph average exit velocity — the highest single-season mark by a hitter under the age of 22 in the Statcast era — portend immediate success at the highest level as a power-hitting table-setter. He’ll be an early-round pick in all fantasy drafts this spring. Here’s the full lineup: Anthony (RF), Ceddanne Rafaela (CF), Wilyer Abreu (DH), Contreras (1B), Masataka Yoshida (LF), Connor Wong (C), Andruw Monasterio (3B), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (SS) and Brendan Rodgers (2B).

Cora’s remark came in response to a question at Fenway Fest about whether the club would consider moving Rafaela to the keystone to alleviate its outfield logjam. The 25-year-old’s offensive production cratered in the second half of last season after a stellar opening act that featured 14 homers and 13 steals in 88 games. The constant shuffling between second base and center field may have contributed to the slide considering the Red Sox are going out of their way to dismiss the possibility of him playing second base, prioritizing Rafaela’s elite defense in center field after he earned the AL Gold Glove at the spot. From a fantasy standpoint, the added stability represents a positive development for Rafaela as he’ll have fewer variables to worry about heading into next season. However, losing second-base eligibility down the road would be a tough break for fantasy managers.

Those two are joined by Steven Kwan in the outfield. Other AL winners include pitcher Max Fried, catcher Dillon Dingler, first baseman Ty France, second baseman Marcus Semien, third baseman Maikel Garcia, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and utilityman Mauricio Dubón. Semien getting the nod over Andrés Giménez seems like the biggest upset, though Giménez, who won the previous three years, did miss a bunch of time. Dingler over Alejandro Kirk also rates as a modest surprise.

With the victory, Boston clinches a playoff berth for the first time since 2021. Facing an early 3-0 deficit, the Red Sox chipped away with single runs in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings to draw even. Romy Gonzalez smacked a one-out single off of Tigers reliever Tommy Kahnle in the ninth inning and Rafaela followed by swatting an RBI triple off the wall in left-center, sending the Fenway faithful into an absolute frenzy. The 25-year-old outfielder finished the night 2-for-4 and is now hitting .247/.292/.412 with 16 homers, 63 RBI and 19 stolen bases on the season.

The Red Sox blew a 5-1 lead in the sixth tonight, falling behind 7-5, but they scored all of the remaining runs from there, getting the last four with two outs in the eighth. Rafaela, who started in center, made a brief appearance at second base and later returned to center tonight, drove in four runs for the second time this season. The other occasion was a five-RBI game against the Guardians back in April.

Rafaela’s first home run since last month’s All-Star break came at a pivotal moment for Boston as he took Orioles lefty closer Keegan Akin deep to left field for a game-changing blast in the top of the ninth. The 24-year-old breakout sensation has endured a tough second half at the dish, but his immense power/speed combo talent remains undeniable. He’s consistently shown up in big moments like this, which is why he’ll be an X-factor to watch in the postseason, if the Red Sox make it there.

The Password finds himself on the bench to open Saturday afternoon’s contest at Yankee Stadium after going 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts on Friday in his big-league debut. Ceddanne Rafaela is in center field with David Hamilton handling the keystone and Masataka Yoshida at DH. The 22-year-old top prospect figures to split time between several spots defensively, but he’ll cede occasional starts to Rafaela in center field over the final five weeks.

Abreu is headed to the injured list with a right calf issue, but the move isn’t official yet since top prospect Jhostynxon Garcia is still en route to New York. It’ll be Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Roman Anthony in the outfield on Thursday night.

It’s a mental break for Rafaela amid a prolonged second-half slump where he’s batting .194 (20-for-103) with zero homers and five steals in 28 games. He recorded 14 homers and 13 thefts in 92 first-half contests. It’s fair to wonder if the move to second base on a more frequent basis has been a contributing factor in his recent struggles.