Boston Red Sox News

Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Cincinnati Reds. Rafaela had started the first two games of the season, but he'll open Sunday's game on the bench. Masataka Yoshida will make his first start of the year in left field, shifting Roman Anthony to designated hitter and Jarren Duran to center field. Rafaela has been off to an impressive start so far, hitting 3-for-9 with one run, one RBI, and one strikeout. He's also one of the most prominent defenders in baseball, so losing his glove in center field puts the Red Sox at a disadvantage. It makes sense to get Yoshida's left-handed bat in the lineup against Reds righty Rhett Lowder, although Rafaela did have reverse splits in 2025 (.720 OPS against right-handed pitching).

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida will start three of the team's next five games, per Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. Cora feels comfortable putting Yoshida in left field when they begin a series in Houston against the Astros next week. However, Yoshida is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's game in Cincinnati against the Reds and right-hander Brady Singer. Fantasy managers should expect Yoshida to make his first start of the 2026 season in Sunday's finale in Cincy. With Yoshida getting set to enter the starting nine soon, it will push one of Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, or Ceddanne Rafaela out of the lineup. The 32-year-old Japanese outfielder has seen his fantasy stock fall dramatically in 2026 after he played in just 55 games in 2025 due to a shoulder injury. Yoshida makes plenty of contact at the plate and has a .282 average through three seasons, but the power hasn't been there, and his less-than-stellar defensive work in the outfield leaves him more susceptible than ever to sitting on the bench in Boston.

The Boston Red Sox have re-signed infielder Brendan Rodgers (shoulder) to a two-year minor league contract, according to Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com. Rodgers had been in camp with the Red Sox, but he was released this past week following shoulder surgery. Now, he's back in the organization on a new deal that will allow him to rehab in 2026 before returning as a healthy depth option in 2027. It's a low-risk move that could give the Red Sox a potential bench middle infielder next year. Rodgers hasn't been a productive hitter since 2024, which was his final year with the Rockies. However, he continues to offer a right-handed bat, veteran experience, solid glovework, and defensive versatility.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Payton Tolle is worth stashing ahead of his return to the major leagues. Tolle joined the Red Sox with the 50th selection in the 2024 MLB Draft and quickly progressed through the minor leagues last summer. He opened the 2025 campaign with High-A, but was able to debut in Boston late in the second half. Across 76 2/3 innings shared between High-A and Double-A, Tolle posted a strong 2.93 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, with a 116:21 K:BB. During a short 16 1/3-inning stint with Triple-A, Tolle struck out 17 hitters before joining the major league roster. However, Tolle would take a step back in his first taste of MLB action, posting a high 6.06 ERA over 16 1/3 innings of work. In camp, Tolle fell short of the final starting role and was optioned to Triple-A. Despite this, he may only need a short taste at the top level before returning to the majors. Given the high-end strikeout upside he flashed last summer, Tolle is a top early-season pitcher to stash in all 12+ team leagues.

Boston Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's Opening Day contest against the Cincinnati Reds. While manager Alex Cora previously said Mayer made the roster as Boston's starting second baseman, it appears that he won't be getting many at-bats against left-handed pitching. The Red Sox face left-hander Andrew Abbott on Thursday, and Cora has decided to start right-handed-hitting infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa at second base over Mayer. It's not the flashiest decision, but it makes sense. Mayer had a rough rookie season at the plate, posting a .416 OPS, a 37% strikeout rate, and 6 wRC+ against left-handed pitching (27 plate appearances). He could come off the bench if the Reds bring in a right-handed reliever, and we expect him to start at second base on Saturday against right-hander Brady Singer.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (knee) was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday. This was not a surprise as the 6-foot-4 slugger was unable to participate in any Grapefruit League action as he continues to recover from a ruptured left patellar tendon that he suffered in 2025. He recently faced live hitters and has been cleared to run the bases and slide, but with no rehab assignment scheduled yet, it's not certain when he might be able to return to the majors. Mid-to-late May is probably a good estimate based on the usual timeline, but there is no rush as the team acquired Willson Contreras in the offseason to man first base, and before his injury last year, the left-handed hitter was slashing just .182/.277/.303, so they may want to make sure he's fully knocked the rust off before he competes for at-bats with the big league club. The former first-rounder does have some power, though, as he belted 24 home runs in 2023 in 132 games, so the 26-year-old's progress is certainly worth monitoring for fantasy.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the team will mix-and-match platoon partners this season for left-handed hitting infielder Marcelo Mayer, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. While Mayer will serve as the team's primary second baseman to start the year, it appears as though veteran infielders Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andruw Monasterio will both be used in place of Mayer when Boston faces a left-handed starting pitcher. The 23-year-old Mayer made his MLB debut in 2025, slashing .228/.272/.402 with four home runs, 10 RBI, and 20 runs scored across 136 plate appearances. However, he had just four hits in 26 at-bats against southpaws in the majors and posted a .638 OPS against left-handed pitching during his time at Triple-A. From a fantasy perspective, Mayer losing playing time against lefties will hurt his ability to rack up counting stats. Still, avoiding his weakness against same-handed pitchers could improve his batting average and lead to a better overall line in his time in the lineup.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Johan Oviedo will begin the 2026 season in the bullpen, likely as a piggyback option for rookie left-hander Connelly Early in his first start of the year on Sunday versus the Cincinnati Reds, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The Red Sox will reassess the situation after a couple of turns through the starting rotation. Oviedo, 28, lost out on the No. 5 starting-rotation spot to Early despite going into his outing on Monday allowing only two earned runs while walking six and striking out 14 in 11 1/3 innings this spring over four Grapefruit League starts. The Cuban hurler then allowed six runs in 3 1/3 innings on Monday against the Minnesota Twins with diminished velocity on his pitches. Oviedo will surely make starts for the Red Sox in 2026 in his first year with the team, but he has some things to clean up first, and his opportunities could depend on how Early fares early on. Oviedo is merely an arm to stash in AL-only leagues at the moment.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas (knee) will stay in Fort Myers to continue his recovery, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Casas suffered a ruptured left patellar tendon on May 2, 2025, and hasn't played since then. At this point, it seems likely he'll remain sidelined on the one-year anniversary of his injury. The first baseman didn't get into any Grapefruit League games this spring, but he did log some innings in a minor league game. So far, Casas has been cleared to hit against live pitching, but not run the bases or slide. Once he's cleared for those activities, the Red Sox can schedule him for a rehab assignment in Triple-A. He remains on track for a return sometime in mid-to-late May, but even when he gets back to the majors, he'll have to compete for playing time. Willson Contreras, acquired from the Cardinals during the offseason, is Boston's projected everyday first baseman.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Connelly Early will make his first regular-season start of the year on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Right-hander Johan Oviedo, who has been battling for the No. 5 starting spot in spring training, will open in the bullpen and will likely be a piggyback option. The Red Sox will re-assess after a couple of turns through the rotation. Early could easily be sent to the bullpen or to the minors in 2026 if he starts to struggle, but the young southpaw has earned a rotation spot after recording a 1.59 ERA with 16 strikeouts and only five walks in 17 innings in the Grapefruit League. The 23-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2023 out of Virginia also looked good in his MLB debut in 2025, posting a 2.33 ERA (0.91 FIP), 1.09 WHIP, and 29:4 K:BB in 19 1/3 innings. Early has a versatile repertoire, has a pretty clean injury history, and is good at inducing weak contact. His stock in all fantasy formats is on the rise.

Boston Red Sox third baseman Caleb Durbin is expected to open the season in an everyday role with plenty of potential, and he can be a great way to add some infield depth late in your fantasy draft or even off the waiver wire if he slips through your draft. Durbin shipped up to Boston this offseason after the Red Sox snagged him in a trade from the Brewers. Last year, Drubin slashed .256/.334.387 with 11 home runs and 53 RBI in 136 games on his way to finishing third in National League Rookie of the Year voting. He has looked excellent at the plate and in the field this spring, hitting .356 in 17 games with three stolen bases and a .431 wOBA. Since he'll be an everyday player and likely hit in a good spot in Boston's batting order, he has a solid batting average floor and good speed potential. He's ranked as the No. 16 3B at RotoBaller and brings nice flexibility with 2B eligibility in some formats as well. If you need infield help at the end of your draft, he's a great option to consider.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Connelly Early has made the team's Opening Day roster, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. However, despite a strong showing in spring training, he will be competing with Johan Oviedo for the fifth starting rotation spot early in the 2026 season. It will help the Red Sox provide length to their rotation, with both Ranger Suarez and Brayan Bello still building up their pitch counts after pitching in the World Baseball Classic. Boston views Early as a starter, and it's unlikely that he'll be used as a reliever for the first few weeks of the season. Exact plans for Early and Oviedo are "still being ironed out," and the team's decision-makers "do not seem keen" on the idea of a six-man rotation. The 23-year-old prospect could make his first start of the year on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds. Early had a 2.33 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 29:4 K: BB in his first four big-league starts in 2025 before allowing three earned runs in 17 innings with five walks and 16 K's in five Grapefruit League appearances in spring training. He has good control and limits hard contact, making him one of the more intriguing young arms to stash in the big leagues.

The Boston Red Sox optioned left-handed pitching prospect Payton Tolle to the minors on Monday, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. Tolle is Boston's top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, but he'll likely begin the 2026 season at Triple-A Worcester. The 23-year-old southpaw pitched well in spring training, allowing only three earned runs while walking one and striking out 13 in 10 2/3 Grapefruit League innings over four appearances (one start). Tolle made his major-league debut late last year and struggled with a 6.06 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, and 19:8 K:BB in 16 1/3 innings over seven outings (three starts), but he should be one of the first arms up in Boston when the BoSox need rotation help. He throws in the upper-90s, but he needs to show better command consistently. As a fly-ball pitcher, he could get into quite a bit of trouble at Fenway Park if he's not locating his pitches. Tolle is one of the better under-the-radar pitching prospects to stash in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues.

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora officially announced on Saturday that infielder Marcelo Mayer will break camp as the team's starting second baseman, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com. This was the expectation all along after Boston recently named Caleb Durbin as the starting third baseman. Mayer, 23, beat out Nick Sogard for starting duties at the keystone to open the 2026 season. The former fourth overall pick in 2021 is currently hitting .214 (6-for-28) with a homer, two RBI, four runs scored, eight walks, and eight strikeouts in 11 Grapefruit League games this spring. Mayer made his MLB debut in 2025 and appeared in 44 games, slashing .228/.272/.402 with a .674 OPS, four home runs, 10 RBI, and 20 runs scored in 136 plate appearances. The left-handed hitter gets a boost as a late-round upside stash in deep-mixed and AL-only leagues with the news for his middling power and speed at a middle-infield position. As Mayer begins his first full major-league season, his ideal fantasy value comes as a developing dynasty/keeper middle-infield asset.

Boston Red Sox second baseman Kristian Campbell has been optioned to Triple-A Worcester, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Campbell will require some additional development in the minors before the Boston front office is comfortable recalling him to the majors. The young infielder made his MLB debut last spring after making the Opening Day roster. He got off to a hot start but then quickly settled down, posting a .223/.319/.345 slash line with a 27.4% strikeout rate and 86 wRC+ across 67 games. He spent the rest of the 2025 season in Triple-A, not only working on his swing at the plate, but also improving his defensive versatility by getting reps at first base and in left field. Campbell produced a quiet spring this year (.645 OPS and 67 wRC+), so he didn't do enough to earn an Opening Day roster spot. Instead, he'll head back to Worcester while fellow infielder Marcelo Mayer slots in as the Red Sox' primary second baseman.

MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reports that "all signs continue to point to" infielder Marcelo Mayer starting the year as the team's "primary second baseman," but manager Alex Cora "won't cop to it." Mayer has played better recently in spring training, and the Red Sox have already announced Caled Durbin as their starting third baseman. Mayer's "inclusion seems like a formality" on the Opening Day roster, and he is the clear favorite for most of the at-bats at the keystone in 2026 as long as he's healthy. The 23-year-old former fourth overall pick in 2021 has hit 6-for-24 (.250) with a homer, two RBI, four runs, six walks, and seven strikeouts in nine Grapefruit League games. Staying healthy has been an issue for Mayer early in his career, and he struggled in his big-league debut in 2025, hitting .228/.272/.402 with four homers, 10 RBI, eight walks, and 41 strikeouts in 136 plate appearances over 44 games. Fantasy managers in deep-mixed leagues should think of him as an upside bench option as a late-round flier that can contribute decent volume with middling power and speed. Mayer carries more intrigue in dynasty/keeper leagues as a developing power/speed threat on the middle infield.

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray will open the 2026 season as the No. 2 option in the rotation, manager Alex Cora told Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. While it initially seemed like Boston would roll out Garrett Crochet and Ranger Suarez as its first two starters, Cora is inserting Gray between them to open the year with a staggered pattern of lefty, righty, lefty. While this decision is driven by handedness, that's not to say that Gray isn't deserving of a spot in the front half of the rotation. He posted an impressive 3.07 xFIP with 10.01 K/9 and 1.89 BB/9 in the Cardinals' rotation last year, and he now joins a revamped pitching staff in Boston. Cora's announcement puts Gray in line to make his Red Sox regular-season debut on Saturday, March 28, against one of his former teams, the Cincinnati Reds.

Boston Red Sox left-handed pitching prospect Payton Tolle is unlikely to break camp with the MLB roster and is emerging as a top early-season stash candidate. Throughout spring training, the 6-foot-6 southpaw has looked quite comfortable, logging 10 2/3 innings to the tune of a 2.53 ERA with a 0.84 WHIP. During this stint, he has totaled 13 punchouts while allowing just one free pass. Last summer, Tolle made his MLB debut but stumbled in his first taste of action, carrying a high 6.06 ERA with a 1.59 WHIP over 16 1/3 innings. However, he did manage to strike out 19 hitters, showcasing his raw upside. With Johan Oviedo slated to take the final spot in the starting rotation, Tolle will likely begin the regular season at Triple-A but could be called to make a start in Boston early in the first half. Given his strikeout potential, he is worth stashing in 12+ team leagues ahead of Opening Day.

Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevory Story was held out of a third straight Grapefruit League game over the weekend, with the Red Sox "monitoring Story's workload" in an effort to keep him fresh going into the start of the 2026 regular season next week, a club source told Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Story has played in 11 Grapefruit League games this year and has hit a strong .424 (14-for-33) with no homers, four doubles, three triples, two RBI, six runs scored, and a stolen base in 34 plate appearances. The 33-year-old two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner had two injury-plagued seasons for Boston in 2023 and 2024 before rebounding to hit .263/.308/.433 with a .741 OPS, 25 home runs, 96 RBI, a career-high 31 stolen bases, and 91 runs scored in 157 regular-season games in 2025. Boston is planning to give Story a "little more rest in 2026," which has started this spring. Story showed he can still deliver power/speed numbers for fantasy managers last year, but his lengthy injury history and advanced age make him a pretty big injury risk and more of a low-end starting shortstop option in fantasy leagues.

Boston Red Sox pitching prospect Connelly Early made his final case for an Opening Day roster spot on Wednesday, tossing five shutout innings against the Yankees in his fifth Grapefruit League appearance, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out seven. He was also charged with a wild pitch and hit a batter in the outing. Despite the latter results of the performance, Boston's third-ranked prospect has impressed this spring, allowing three earned runs in 17 innings of work (1.59 ERA) while recording a 0.94 WHIP and a 16:5 K:BB. The left-hander made his MLB debut in 2025 and saw similar success, posting a 2.33 ERA (2.35 xFIP) and a 1.09 WHIP with a 29:4 K:BB over 19 1/3 innings pitched. The competition for Boston's fifth starter role has been stiff, with LHP Payton Tolle and offseason acquisition RHP Johan Oviedo both showing well this spring, too, and it remains to be seen who will win the job. Oviedo may have the slightest of edges in the race, and may get the nod simply due to his MLB experience compared to the other two, but whether it is on Opening Day or sometime later, Early will be pitching with the big league club this season and is a worthy stash candidate in the meantime. For managers who haven't drafted yet, the 6-foot-3 southpaw can be had at the end of most fantasy drafts with an ADP around 300, but could certainly outproduce that if he gets a chance early on in 2026.