That the Boston Red Sox managed nine runs on Sunday was made all the more impressive by the absence of two key bats.
First baseman Willson Contreras and center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, who have been two of the lone standouts on this highly disappointing Boston offense, both sat out the game. Both were also dealing with new injury concerns, though it appears neither is in danger of heading to the injured list after their one-game absences.
Rafaela was also a late scratch, prompting some concern that there might be an issue worth monitoring beyond Sunday.
Though it's never fully safe these days to assume that a Red Sox player is out of the woods when it come to injury, it appears Rafaela and Contreras are both going to be ready for action on Tuesday, when the Red Sox begin a three-game series at Fenway Park against the Baltimore Orioles.
Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reported Monday that the Red Sox were likely to re-insert both impact bats into their Tuesday lineup.
"Rafaela aggravated his back on a diving catch during the homestand last week and Contreras hyperextended his elbow on a swing over the weekend. Tracy said both players needed a breather," wrote McCaffrey. "With the day off on Monday, they’ll likely return to the lineup on Tuesday."
Having both players healthy is also no guarantee that they perform up to their standards from the year to date, which the Red Sox desperately need. Rafaela and Contreras have been the team's second- and third-most valuable position players by bWAR, trailing only Wilyer Abreu.
A key series with Baltimore leads into a weekend trip to Yankee Stadium, so the Red Sox need their offensive attack as whole as it can be.