Jarren Duran took over in center after Ceddanne Rafaela exited Boston’s game against Cleveland in the third inning Wednesday. Manager Chad Tracy said Rafaela felt leg cramping after returning from a 17-game quad-injury absence; the postseason starts in six days.
A Boston Globe report said the Red Sox routinely bench Duran against left-handed starters; Cleveland’s Foster Griffin is a left-hander. Duran struck out with two outs and the bases loaded in his first at-bat. By mid-September, he had stolen 19 bases in 23 attempts, and Tracy called a reliable pinch runner important down the stretch. Duran’s October role as a runner or center fielder may hinge on Rafaela’s next update.
