The Boston Red Sox lineup got a major boost on Wednesday afternoon as they activated All-Star center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela off the 10-day injured list. While the return of Rafaela is a welcome one for the Red Sox, it creates a tough lineup decision for manager Chad Tracy to make ahead of the postseason. 

During both Rafaela and Eli White’s absences, Jarren Duran took over primary duties in center field, with Roman Anthony sliding from designated hitter to left field, opening up playing time for a platoon at DH between Mickey Gasper, who sees the bulk of the work against right-handed pitchers, and Jahmai Jones against lefties. 

However, with Rafaela’s return, either Duran or Gasper will likely see their playing time decrease. 

 The 30-year-old sparkplug has struggled mightily in 2026, posting a slash line of .207/.265/.364/.629, ranking in the bottom five out of 134 qualified hitters in batting average (130th), on-base percentage (133rd), and weighted runs created plus (69, 133rd)

Despite his struggles, Duran reached the 20-home-run, 20-steal mark for the second time in his career on Wednesday night and has shown flashes of being the player who finished in the top 10 in MVP voting in 2024 on several occasions. 

For much of May, Duran carried an otherwise anemic offense, hitting .261/.331/.548/.879 with nine home runs in 27 games. The 30-year-old also showed flashes of returning to form in early August, hitting .265/.315/.518/.833 in his first 23 games in the month. However, since then, he has regressed back to his season norms, hitting just .185/.254/.323/.577 in his last 22 games. 

The case for Gasper getting the start against right-handers is simple: Since Aug. 1, no hitter in baseball has been hotter than the 30-year-old utility man, who has hit .278/.430/.709/1.139 with 10 home runs, leading all hitters with at least 90 plate appearances in slugging percentage and weighted runs created plus (209). 

In a short, three-game series, there's really no room for a struggling player like Duran to get going at the plate, even if his ceiling is much higher. Gasper has been one of, if not the best, hitters on a Red Sox offense that has found itself in the basement of the league for much of September. Gasper undeniably gives the Red Sox the best chance to win a game. That said, having a player of Duran's caliber on the bench to turn to in a big situation or as a pinch runner is an incredible luxury for Tracy should he need it. 

Ultimately, both Duran and Gasper could give way to Jones in two of the three games, as their likely opponent, the New York Yankees, could throw two left-handers in the series, Carlos Rodon and Max Fried. 

The Wild Card series begins on Sept. 29, with the Red Sox' official start times and opponent still to be finalized.