SAN DIEGO — Red Sox’ Ceddanne Rafaela is starting at second base for a fourth consecutive game Sunday.
Manager Alex Cora said the 24-year-old will play more second base than center field moving forward, as there’s no set timeline for second baseman Marcelo Mayer’s return from a sprained wrist.
“There’s no other choice, to be honest with you,” Cora said Sunday. “He knows that we’re in the winning business and we’re willing to do whatever we need to do to win games.”
Eight days have passed since Mayer received an anti-inflammation injection, which typically takes 72 hours to fully take effect, but he has not yet begun baseball activities.
“We had a conversation before the Marcelo injury that he (Rafaela) was going to play once a week at second base, maybe twice,” Cora said. “Now we had another conversation that things have changed and he’s going to play more second than center field.”
Rafaela is second among MLB center fielders in defensive runs saved (16 in 857 innings). Only Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong (19) has more.
“I still believe regardless of how many games he’ll play in center field, he should win the Gold Glove in center,” Cora said. “There’s nobody better than him.”
There is now a utility Gold Glove given to the top defender who plays multiple positions.
“That’s up to the voters and all that, but I think he’s the Gold Glove center fielder in the American League,” Cora said. “And then at second, you saw the play yesterday, he’s won a few games at second base. He’s just a good athlete, a good player, and he wants to win. So he’s all in.”
On Saturday, Rafaela made a diving play to his left on a ground ball that left Ramón Laureano’s bat at 106.5 mph.
“It was incredible,” Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito said about the play. “He’s one of, if not the best defender in the league. It doesn’t matter where you put him. So whether he’s playing center or second base, he’s making plays like that and it really helps us out.”
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