Ceddanne Rafaela gets new spot in Red Sox’ lineup — and position — Saturday after walk-off HR

BOSTON — How did the Red Sox reward the red-hot Ceddanne Rafaela after crushing a walk-off home run in a dramatic win Saturday? By moving him up in the lineup and giving him a new position, too.

Rafaela, who has played center field and hit ninth virtually all season, is hitting second and starting at second base Saturday afternoon against the Rays and starter Shane Baz. The Red Sox wanted to rest third baseman Alex Bregman for a day after he came off the injured list to return Friday, so Marcelo Mayer will play third base and Rafaela, for the first time in a start this season, will shift to second.

All 85 of Rafaela’s starts in 2025 have come in center field and with him hitting sixth or lower (including 59 times in the No. 9 spot). But the Red Sox want to capitalize on a red-hot stretch that has seen the 24-year-old hit .352 with seven homers, 10 doubles, 20 RBIs and a 1.167 OPS in his last 19 games. Jarren Duran is once again in center field for the Red Sox and Roman Anthony is in left field. Masataka Yoshida is the DH.

“We had to (play Rafaela at second) today,” said manager Alex Cora. “No Alex (Bregman) and Romy (Gonzalez) will play first base but he’s a little bit banged up from playing all those games so giving him another day makes sense. This is the only way we’ll align today.

“Yesterday, he was at second taking ground balls and he looked like he had been playing there the whole season. But he wants to win a Gold Glove and be the best defensive center fielder in the big leagues… This whole second base thing, he’s not going to play everyday at second. He’s not. But to make it work, at one point having all the lefties in the lineup except Marcelo at that point, he probably plays once a week, if that.”

Rafaela has logged one fill-in inning at second base this year, on June 6. He made four starts there last year and one in 2023. Saturday marks the highest he has hit in the batting order since leading off games in Pittsburgh on April 21 and 23 last season.

The Sox are looking for their ninth straight win after starting their homestand with three wins over the Rockies and two one-run victories over Tampa Bay. They’ll send All-Star Garrett Crochet to the mound for his 20th and final start of a dominant first half. First pitch is at 4:10 p.m. ET.

TAMPA BAY RAYS (50-45) @ BOSTON RED SOX (51-45) · FENWAY PARK · BOSTON, MA · GAME 97

FIRST PITCH: 4:10 p.m. ET

TV CHANNEL: NESN

RADIO: WEEI 93.7 FM

PITCHING PROBABLES: RHP Shane Baz (8-4, 4.34 ERA) vs. LHP Garrett Crochet (9-4, 2.39 ERA)

RED SOX LINEUP:

1) CF Jarren Duran

2) 2B Ceddanne Rafaela

3) LF Roman Anthony

4) C Carlos Narváez

5) DH Masataka Yoshida

6) SS Trevor Story

7) RF Wilyer Abreu

8) 1B Abraham Toro

9) 3B Marcelo Mayer

RAYS LINEUP:

1) 1B Yandy Díaz

2) 2B Ha-Seong Kim

3) CF Jake Mangum

4) DH Junior Caminero

5) LF Christopher Morel

6) 3B Curtis Mead

7) C Danny Jansen

8) RF José Caballero

9) SS Taylor Walls