Ceddanne Rafaela misses third straight game with sore right quad

Ceddanne Rafaela was out of the Red Sox lineup for a third consecutive game Sunday with a sore right quad, per MLB.com. The club has not announced a timetable for his return.

What happened

Rafaela has been sidelined with right quad soreness since the injury was first reported Wednesday, per the newsroom. He missed his first game that day, remained out Thursday, and was again absent Sunday as Boston wrapped up its weekend series in Baltimore against the Orioles.

MLB.com reported the absence Sunday. The Red Sox have not placed Rafaela on the injured list, and no further detail on the severity of the quad issue has been provided by the club.

Why it matters

Rafaela's value to Boston is rooted in his positional flexibility — the kind of versatility that becomes especially useful during September, when rosters expand to 28 players and clubs lean on multi-position contributors to manage workloads and cover rest days. His absence removes one of the more adaptable pieces from the Red Sox bench and lineup at a moment when the club is pressing toward a playoff berth.

The timing is notable. The Red Sox have won three consecutive games despite the absence, including Sonny Gray's seven-scoreless-inning performance Friday in his return from rest. The club has managed, but the lack of a clear return window means Boston is operating without certainty about when that flexibility comes back.

Also absent from Sunday's lineup, per MLB.com, were Baltimore's Adley Rutschman and a second Orioles player, both receiving rest days against the Red Sox. Rutschman's presence in the opposing dugout rather than the opposing lineup carried its own quiet subplot: he was traded from Baltimore to Boston at the MLB trade deadline and returned to Camden Yards for the first time earlier in this series, per the newsroom.

Where the club stands

The Red Sox entered Sunday at 78-65 (.545), third in the American League East and 7.5 games behind the division leader. Boston holds the second Wild Card position, sitting +6.0 relative to the cut line, and has won three straight.

Payton Tolle was scheduled to start Sunday's series finale against Baltimore's Kyle Bradish at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Red Sox then return home Monday to open a two-game set against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park, followed by another game against the Angels on Tuesday.

The club has been navigating a busy stretch of roster activity alongside the Rafaela situation. Two days before Sunday's game, the newsroom reported that Jedixson Paez was called up for a spot start after being returned from the White Sox following a Rule 5 Draft stint and a designation for assignment — a journey that would make for a compelling minor-league memoir. Gray's scoreless outing Friday arrived the day after Paez's start, giving the rotation a steadier footing heading into the weekend finale.

On the injury front, Garrett Crochet threw off a mound for the first time since his injury, per the newsroom — an early step in his recovery from shoulder inflammation and a lat strain, with a return expected in a relief role. That development came earlier in the week, and while it offers a longer-term reason for optimism, it does nothing to fill the lineup card Sunday.

Kristian Campbell, who signed a $60 million deal, was sent to Triple-A earlier this week per the newsroom, working to rediscover his swing after his Driveline-based approach stopped producing. That move, reported twice in the newsroom within a day, underscores the degree to which Boston has been reshaping its active group as September unfolds.

What we don't know yet

The Red Sox have not disclosed the severity of Rafaela's quad soreness, whether imaging has been performed, or what the next steps in his evaluation look like. The club has not indicated whether an injured-list stint is under consideration.

Three consecutive absences without a roster move leaves the situation in an ambiguous middle ground — not serious enough, apparently, to require a formal designation, but persistent enough that no return date has been offered. Whether that changes after Sunday's game is unknown.

Is Rafaela expected back for the Angels series?

No timetable has been announced, per MLB.com. The Red Sox have not indicated whether Rafaela is expected to be available when the Angels arrive at Fenway Park on Monday, and no update on his baseball activities has been reported.

Under general roster rules, a position player can be placed on the 10-day injured list retroactively to the date the injury occurred, which would open an active roster spot while keeping Rafaela on the 40-man. Whether the club pursues that path has not been reported.

What to watch

Rafaela's status heading into the Fenway homestand is the immediate question. If the soreness does not improve, the club will face a decision about whether to carry him on the active roster without using him or formalize the absence with an injured list placement.

The Angels series offers Boston a chance to extend its winning streak against a different opponent, and how the Red Sox construct their lineup without Rafaela — particularly with Rutschman now in the fold and the expanded roster providing additional options — will be worth monitoring. The club's ability to cover his defensive and lineup contributions across multiple positions will be tested the longer the quad issue lingers.

With the Wild Card position sitting +6.0 above the cut line and three weeks remaining in the regular season, Boston has a cushion — but not the kind that makes a multi-game absence from a versatile contributor feel comfortable. The next update on Rafaela's status, whenever it comes, will carry real weight for how the Red Sox manage their final push.