BoSox Injection

It was a catch. Ceddanne Rafaela knew it, the Boston Red Sox and their fans know it. Why else would Rafaela, a Gold Glove defender with incredible body control, risk rolling his wrist the way he did? To keep leather under the ball. But the call on the field didn't play out that way and MLB found the replay inconclusive.

Sometimes good teams just need a reset. Alex Cora built a lot of goodwill in Boston — a 2018 championship, real relationships, memories nobody's trying to erase — and when the Red Sox fired him after a 10-17 start on April 25, there was genuine hurt attached to that decision, not just frustration. So, what Chad Tracy has done since then is remarkable on its own terms, and it’s way more than a reset.

The end of the season is in sight, which means award season nears. The Boston Red Sox have multiple contenders across their roster — Sonny Gray should be an American League Cy Young finalist, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu are locks for their second and third Gold Gloves, respectively, and Caleb Durbin deserves one, too. Rafaela should also be in the mix for another award after his significant improvement at the plate this season: the AL Silver Slugger in the outfield.

September call-ups are a fun time for fans to see young players get a shot in the majors or journeymen get extra in-game reps to try and prove their worth. In the past, Boston Red Sox fans have been treated to Wilyer Abreu and Ceddanne Rafaela making their MLB debuts. This year's fans are anticipating a potential debut for the Red Sox No. 1 prospect, Franklin Arias. The thing about the expanded roster is that it means that more players need to share playing time.

By every measure, Willson Contreras' first season with the Boston Red Sox has been a resounding success. The first baseman's energy perfectly matches the city of Boston, he's grown into a leader on this young Red Sox team and he can hit with the best of them. Contreras' stellar offensive performance has thrust him into the conversation for the American League Silver Slugger Award at first base.

With September almost here and the Boston Red Sox firmly in playoff positioning, it’s time to start speculating who could be taking up the 27th and 28th roster spots that open on September 1. If we’re being honest, the position player is likely just going to be Roman Anthony (as well as Trevor Story, Curtis Mead, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa all joining in, somehow). Meanwhile, the pitcher will be a returning Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, or, if we’re really lucky, Garrett Crochet.

Given how important this weekend's series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees figures to be — they represent the top two Wild Cards in the American League at present — there's no surprise that both sides are planning to throw the kitchen sink at each other. From one end, you've got the possibility of Roman Anthony joining the Sox in the Bronx late in the series.

From August 28-31, the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will meet for their most important series of the year. The Rivals are back-to-back in the standings in the second and first Wild Card spots, respectively, and theirs will be a battle for higher seeding and for the tie breaker. The Red Sox's insane hot streak through July and into August actually began in late June with a four-game sweep of the Yankees.

Ever since Roman Anthony's rehab assignment began on August 18, there has been tons of speculation about when he'll return to the Boston Red Sox. The discourse has only increased with an update he gave on August 25, in which he said he was feeling good enough to potentially be activated for the Sox's series opening game against the New York Yankees on Friday. Then, Anthony said after his 2-for-4 night on Thursday that he felt he needed more at-bats before he was ready to join the big league squad.

For a few days, Boston Red Sox fans have been on the edge of their seats waiting for Roman Anthony to potentially be activated from his rehab assignment to start on August 28 against the New York Yankees. Anthony told reporters on August 25 that he felt nearly ready to join the Red Sox after three long months on the injured list with a rare hand injury. He specifically noted that activation before the Sox's four-game series in the Bronx was a possibility, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.