Chad Tracy Not ‘Overly Concerned’ About ‘Banged Up’ Red Sox Hitters originally appeared on NESN.
Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ace Garrett Crochet and outfielder Roman Anthony are among a host of players currently on the Boston Red Sox‘s injured and both recently suffered setbacks.
Outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela and first baseman Willson Contreras, meanwhile, are nursing injuries of their own.
Interim manager Chad Tracy scratched Rafaela from Sunday’s lineup vs. the Cleveland Guardians due to lower back tightness, while Contreras is being held out of the starting nine with hand and elbow injuries.
“Ceddanne Rafaela has low back tightness and Willson Contreras has a lingering hand/wrist issue so the Red Sox are giving them the day off ahead of tomorrow’s day off,” MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo posted on X.
Ceddanne Rafaela has low back tightness and Willson Contreras has a lingering hand/wrist issue so the Red Sox are giving them the day off ahead of tomorrow’s day off.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) May 31, 2026
“Ceddanne Rafaela has a sore lower back from a recent dive in Boston, Chad Tracy said. So the Red Sox want to give him today plus the off day tomorrow,” The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey wrote on Bluesky. “Willson Contreras occasionally hyperextends his elbow/arm on swings, so Tracy likewise wants to give him a rest.”
Tracy reiterated that the pair of right-handed hitters should benefit from the extra day of rest.
“I’m not overly concerned about either of these guys after the off day, but there are some guys banged up,” the 40-year-old said, according to a report by Cotillo.
Contreras and Rafaela have been two of the Red Sox’s most productive batters this season.
The former paces the team in home runs (11), RBIs (33) walks (23), slugging percentage (.505), OPS (.889) and total bases (99), while the 25-year-old Gold Glove award winner is third in hits (53), tied for second in doubles (11) and second in stolen bases (six).
More MLB: Red Sox’s Garrett Crochet Suffers Injury Setback, Faces Likely MRI