Ceddanne Rafaela Update Surfaces After Absence From Red Sox' Lineup

Ceddanne Rafaela Update Surfaces After Absence From Red Sox' Lineup originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Boston Red Sox have climbed the AL East standings over the past month and currently sit at 63–51, riding a six-game winning streak and trailing the Toronto Blue Jays by just three games for first place in the division.

A large part of Boston’s overall success has been the emergence of Ceddanne Rafaela, who’s become a force both offensively and defensively.

The 24-year-old utility man is in his third season with the Red Sox after making his debut during the 2023 season. He struggled to establish himself as a real threat offensively last year, but in 2025 Rafaela has flipped the script, leading to his irreplaceable value in the Red Sox batting order.

Ceddanne Rafaela Out of Red Sox Lineup

After an 8–5 victory in the series opener against the Kansas City Royals, the Red Sox will look to extend their winning streak to seven games behind ace Garrett Crochet on Tuesday. Unfortunately for Boston, they will have to do so without Rafaela in the lineup, as he was replaced at second base in favor of speedster David Hamilton.

Fortunately for the Red Sox, manager Alex Cora announced that there was no injury concern for Rafaela and the off day was scheduled just to give him a breather.

Red Sox' Alex Cora said it's just a scheduled day off for Ceddanne Rafaela.

— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) August 5, 2025

Rafaela’s Breakout Season Fueling Red Sox Postseason Push

In 2025, Rafaela has filled in to multiple positions when necessary. He’s graded out as one of the best defensive players in the league no matter where he plays because of his speed. In 108 games at the plate, he has a .267 batting average and .761 OPS, both the highest of his career, and he has hit 14 home runs.

His most memorable home run this year was a walk-off blast off Pete Fairbanks in early July against the Tampa Bay Rays that helped the Red Sox turn their season around and marked an eighth straight win. His emergence as a true two-way player has Boston right in the middle of a tightly contested AL playoff race.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.