Rafaela is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Padres, Chris Henrique of BostonSportsJournal.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rafaela started the previous five games and posted a .779 OPS with a homer, an additional RBI and an additional run scored, but he'll receive the day off Sunday. Jarren Duran will shift to center field and Roman Anthony to designated hitter, allowing Masataka Yoshida to pick up a start in left.

Rafaela went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 9-2 loss to Houston.

EDGE Analysis

Rafaela, batting ninth, launched his first home run of the season in the eighth inning. He's been a rare bright spot in a struggling offense, batting .250 (4-for-16) and ranking second among the team's qualified players. The Red Sox have lost four consecutive, and the offense has been non-existent in two straight lopsided losses to the Astros.

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

EDGE Analysis

Rafaela went 3-for-9 with an RBI and a run scored in the first two games of the season and will receive a day off for Sunday's series finale in Cincinnati. Jarren Duran will shift to center field while Roman Anthony receives a turn at designated hitter.

Rafaela is in the lineup for Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Twins, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

EDGE Analysis

Rafaela was involved in a scary collision with teammate Roman Anthony on Friday as the two players tracked a flyball to left-center field, which left both players down for a brief period of time. Anthony got the wind knocked out of him but both stayed in the game and both will start Saturday's contest. Impressively, Rafaela later homered against Atlanta ace Chris Sale in the third inning, Rafaela's second home run of the spring.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that he would like to keep Rafaela in center field "as long as possible" next season, Foul Territory TV reports.

EDGE Analysis

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said something similar last offseason, and while Rafaela made 129 starts in center field in 2025, he was also needed for 19 starts at second base. Rafaela posted a .752 OPS with 14 home runs and an 18.8 percent strikeout rate through the end of July but had just a .622 OPS with two homers and a 22.2 percent strikeout rate between August and September. Cora attributed Rafaela's late-season struggles to the 25-year-old wearing down, and the team has tasked Rafaela with getting "bigger and stronger" this offseason so he won't become fatigued as easily.

Rafaela went 2-for-4 with a triple and one RBI in Friday's 4-3 victory over Detroit.

EDGE Analysis

The Boston center fielder played hero with the game tied in the ninth, ripping a one-out RBI triple off reliever Tommy Kahnle to win the game and secure his team's spot in the postseason. Rafaela had struggled in September prior to this performance, posting a .211/.273/.296 slash line in 77 plate appearances this month while sinking to the bottom third of the order. Overall, the 25-year-old is now slashing .247/.292/.412 with 83 runs scored and 63 RBI across 579 plate appearances.

Rafaela went 4-for-5 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 11-7 win over the Rays.

EDGE Analysis

While Rafaela contributed throughout the game, he scored twice and drove in another run across the seventh and eighth innings. It was the 29-year-old's first multi-hit performance since Sept. 2 -- a much-needed effort after he entered the contest stuck in a 6-for-49 slump this month. On the season, he's slashing .243/.288/.405 with 16 home runs, 61 RBI, 80 runs scored and 19 steals over 556 plate appearances.

Rafaela went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Yankees.

EDGE Analysis

Rafaela swung and missed at three pitches outside the zone with two runners in scoring position in the second inning. He later struck out swinging on a ball in the dirt with two runners on base. It continued a rough second half for the outfielder, who is slashing .188/.241/.276 since the All-Star break.

Rafaela is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Athletics.

EDGE Analysis

Rafaela will hit the bench for the first time since Aug. 19, ending a streak of 19 consecutive starts for the 24-year-old. Considering he's posted a lowly .536 OPS over that 19-game stretch and has gone 1-for-22 with seven strikeouts over his last six starts, Rafaela likely stands to benefit from the break.

Rafaela went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI and two additional runs scored in Tuesday's 11-7 win over the Guardians.

EDGE Analysis

After Cleveland stormed back from a 5-1 deficit with a six-run sixth-inning off ace Garrett Crochet, Rafaela stanched the Guardians' momentum with a two-run shot to tie the game in the bottom of the frame. The home run was his 16th, a new career high for Rafaela, who's known much more for his defense in center field than for his bat.