CEDDANNE RAFAELA NEWS

Will focus primarily on CF Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said earlier this week that the plan is to keep Rafaela in center field next season "as much as possible," Sean McAdam of MassLive.com...

Impact Rafaela made 72 starts in center field, 71 starts at shortstop and four starts at second base in 2024. Center field is his best defensive position and he will no longer be needed at shortstop, provided the Red Sox get a healthy season out of Trevor Story. The Red Sox have an opening at second base, but the club wants Rafaela to focus on one position, believing his production could have been affected in 2024 because he was bouncing around to different spots. There could be a potential outfield playing time crunch on the horizon, however, with Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu on the roster and top prospect Roman Anthony nearly big-league ready. Rafaela might see fewer starts at that point, or Boston could reconsider using him in the infield.

JANUARY 3 • ROTOWIRE

Getting rest Saturday Rafaela isn't in Boston's lineup Saturday versus the Rays.

Impact Rafaela is just 5-for-35 with five RBI over his last 10 games and will grab a seat on the bench to begin Saturday's contest. In his place, Vaughn Grissom will get the nod to start at second base and bat ninth.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Getting rest Saturday Rafaela isn't in Boston's lineup Saturday versus the Rays.

Impact Rafaela is just 5-for-35 with five RBI over his last 10 games and will grab a seat on the bench to begin Saturday's contest. Vaughn Grissom will get the nod to start at second base and bat ninth.

SEPTEMBER 28, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Absent from Boston lineup Rafaela is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game in Toronto, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Impact It's a routine day off for Rafaela, who had started each of the previous five contests. Jarren Duran will shift over to center field and Enmanuel Valdez will cover second base for the Red Sox.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Ceddanne Rafaela's RBI groundout | 09/23/2024 The Official Site of Major League Baseball

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 • MLB.COM

Ceddanne Rafaela's RBI forceout | 09/23/2024 The Official Site of Major League Baseball

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 • MLB.COM

As talented as Red Sox second basemen Ceddanne Rafaela is, room for improvement remains in one particular area - The Boston Globe Rafaela needs to tighten his strike zone to lift his offense to the superb level of his defense.

SEPTEMBER 20, 2024 • BOSTONGLOBE.COM

Taking seat Thursday Rafaela is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest in Tampa Bay, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.

Impact Rafaela is getting a breather after going 1-for-16 with seven strikeouts across his last five games. Nick Sogard will cover second base and bat ninth for the Red Sox.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Out of Saturday's lineup Rafaela isn't in the Red Sox's lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Impact Rafaela has been held hitless in eight at-bats through the first two games of the series, and he'll now get a chance to regroup as he sits Saturday. Enmanuel Valdez will pick up a start at second base as a result and bat ninth.

SEPTEMBER 14, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Out of Saturday's lineup Rafaela isn't in the Red Sox's lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Impact Rafaela has been held hitless in eight at-bats through the first two games of the series, and he'll now get a chance to regroup as he sits Saturday. Enmanuel Valdez will start at second base and bat ninth.

SEPTEMBER 14, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Plays second base Rafaela started at second base and went 1-for-4 with an RBI in Wednesday's 5-3 extra-inning win over the Orioles.

Impact Rafaela made his second start at second base (fourth appearance overall) and first since shortstop Trevor Story was reinstated from the 60-day injured list. At the time of Story's return last week, the speculation was the Rafaela would move to second base, but that didn't occur until Wednesday's game.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Ceddanne Rafaela's RBI single | 09/11/2024 The Official Site of Major League Baseball

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024 • MLB.COM

Ceddanne Rafaela's two-run single | 09/09/2024 Ceddanne Rafaela laces a two-run single to center field, extending the Red Sox's lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the 6th inning

SEPTEMBER 10, 2024 • MLB.COM

Knocks in four in win Rafaela went 2-for-4 with a double, four RBI and a run scored in Monday's 12-3 win over the Orioles.

Impact Rafaela gave Boston separation late in the game with a two-run single in the sixth inning and a two-run double in the eighth. It was assumed he'd move to second base with the return of shortstop Trevor Story from the 60-day injured list, but Rafaela has played only center field since, while Romy Gonzalez and Enmanuel Valdez handled second. Rafaela could eventually shift back to the infield, and it would seem to make sense as the Red Sox have a several outfield/DH bats that would be more dangerous in the lineup than the Gonzalez/Valdez duo.

SEPTEMBER 10, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Ceddanne Rafaela's two-run double | 09/09/2024 Ceddanne Rafaela knocks a two-run double, extending the Red Sox's lead to 10-3 in the 7th inning

SEPTEMBER 10, 2024 • MLB.COM

Tyler O'Neill, Ceddanne Rafaela lead Red Sox Top 5 | 09/09/2024 Tyler O'Neill's two-homer game, Ceddanne Rafaela's go-ahead homer and more lead the Red Sox Top 5

SEPTEMBER 9, 2024 • MLB.COM

Red Sox lineup: Ceddanne Rafaela out of lineup, rookie RHP to debut on mound The Red Sox have a chance to sweep the Chicago White Sox Sunday. Richard Fitts will make his major league debut, starting for the home team.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2024 • MASSLIVE.COM

Sitting Sunday Rafaela is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the White Sox, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Impact Rafaela will begin Sunday's contest in the dugout after going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Saturday's 7-5 win over the White Sox. Emmanuel Valdez will start at second base and bat ninth against White Sox right-hander Chris Flexen.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Starts in center field Rafaela started in center field and went 0-for-4 in Saturday's 7-5 win over the White Sox.

Impact The return of shortstop Trevor Story was initially expected to move Rafaela to second base, but Red Sox manager Alex Cora put him in the outfield. Rafaela is fighting it right now and is 5-for-40 (.125) over the last 12 games.

SEPTEMBER 8, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Will move to second base Rafaela is expected to move to second base Saturday when shortstop Trevor Story (shoulder) will be activated off the injured list, MLB.com reports.

Impact Second base has been a revolving door all year long for the Red Sox, whose second baseman have combined for a league-lows in batting average (.196) and OPS (.535). The position had been designated for Vaughn Grissom, but injuries, setbacks and performance in the minors prevented that plan from being executed. Rafaela, whose two-run home run was the winning blow Friday, has slumped of late, going 5-for-36 (.139) with 14 strikeouts over the last 11 contests.

SEPTEMBER 7, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Ceddanne Rafaela's slick defense | 09/06/2024 Ceddanne Rafaela makes an impressive backhanded play on the run and delivers a dart over to first to end the top of the 7th

SEPTEMBER 7, 2024 • MLB.COM

Measuring the stats on Ceddanne Rafaela's home run | 09/06/2024 The data behind Ceddanne Rafaela's home run

SEPTEMBER 7, 2024 • MLB.COM

Ceddanne Rafaela's two-run homer (15) | 09/06/2024 Ceddanne Rafaela crushes a two-run homer into the Monster seats, putting the Red Sox ahead 3-1 in the bottom of the 7th inning

SEPTEMBER 7, 2024 • MLB.COM

Day off Wednesday Rafaela is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mets, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Impact It marks the third day off since the beginning of last week for Rafaela, who has just a .508 OPS and 19:0 K:BB over his last 18 games. Nick Sogard will play shortstop and Jarren Duran will be in center field for the Red Sox on Wednesday.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

What's Ceddanne Rafaela's best position? Wherever Alex Cora needs him, he says. - The Boston Globe While scouts and stats say the 23-year-old is better in center field, Rafaela feels like he's better at shortstop — but also said he'll play...

SEPTEMBER 3, 2024 • BOSTONGLOBE.COM