The Boston Red Sox enter Saturday's game against the Kansas City Royals all but locked into a playoff position, with Fangraphs playoff odds of 99.8 percent. Boston is also all but certain to be heading to New York for a 2025 Wild Card series rematch with the Yankees after dropping the season series 7-6. As a result, wins and losses don't necessarily matter for the Red Sox down the stretch, as they'll only need to win five or so of their final 14 games to remain exactly where they are. The team has taken advantage of their lot in life being all but sealed by giving key contributors dealing with nagging injuries some much-needed rest on the injured list ahead of the postseason, including a pair of All-Stars, Ceddanne Rafaela and Willson Contreras.

While the team is less concerned about wins and losses, plenty of discouraging trends in how they've played since the start of the series in New York still need to be addressed before the postseason. 

Since the start of the Yankees series on Aug. 28, the Boston offense has struggled, ranking in the bottom 10 in runs (54, 22nd), batting average (.227, 27th), on-base percentage (.302, 22nd), and weighted runs created plus (91, 20th). They've particularly struggled with runners in scoring position, going just 25-for-113 (.221) while stranding 113 men on base. While there is no doubt that both Contreras and Rafaela are crucial pieces missing in the lineup, there are still seven others who will be mainstays in the lineup come October and will be looked at to deliver when their numbers are called.  

After getting off to a scorching hot start upon his return from the injured list for the series finale in the Bronx on Aug. 30, the 22-year-old phenom has come crashing down to earth, hitting just .097/.176/.194/.370, striking out 41.2 percent of the time over his last seven games. The leadoff spot in the lineup has been a black hole for the Red Sox for the entirety of the 2026 season, and Anthony's return was expected to stabilize the top of the lineup. While Anthony's early returns were incredible, the team needs him to get back to the hitter he was before an oblique injury ended his 2025 season. 

It has been a rollercoaster first season in Boston for the 26-year-old third baseman. After spending the first two months of the season as one of the worst hitters in baseball, Durbin sought help from an outside hitting coach, turning his season around. However, in his last 30 games, Durbin has looked more like the player he was in April and May, hitting .235/.342/.275/.616 with only two extra-base hits. 

Durbin serves an important role in the Red Sox lineup, oftentimes hitting right behind the heart of the lineup, which presents him with a number of opportunities to cash in on scoring chances. If the Red Sox are going to have any chance of generating enough offense to get past the Yankees. 

After a 2-for-4 performance serving as the designated hitter for Double-A Portland on Friday night, Contreras will be back with the Sea Dogs on Saturday to continue what is shaping up to be a brief rehab assignment, playing first base. If all goes well, it seems as though the All-Star first baseman could rejoin Boston as soon as Sunday's series finale. However, Rafaela doesn't appear ready to come off the injured list on Tuesday, when he's first eligible, as, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, the team is waiting for his strength tests to return to normal before ramping up his running progression.

Still, those are only two pieces in the Red Sox lineup; while they'll undoubtedly provide a boost, it will take a total team effort to avoid a repeat of the 2025 defeat.

The Red Sox will look to snap a mini three-game losing streak in game two of a three-game set against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon. Ranger Suarez (6-4, 3.44 ERA) gets the start for Boston opposite Randy Dobnak (3-3, 2.54 ERA) for Kansas City. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 4:10 p.m. ET.