Boston Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela is awaiting MRI results after leaving Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians with right hamstring tightness, creating a late-September injury concern less than a week before the MLB playoffs.

Rafaela had just returned from a 17-game absence caused by a right quadriceps strain. In his first game back, he made a diving catch in the opening inning and singled off the Green Monster in the second before leaving prior to the third. Manager Chad Tracy said the imaging was precautionary, while Rafaela described the issue as a cramp and said it felt far less serious than the quad injury.

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi highlighted the stakes in a Thursday post on X, formerly Twitter, underscoring Rafaela’s importance to the club as the 2026 MLB playoffs approach.

Red Sox are hopeful that Ceddanne Rafaela’s hamstring tightness doesn’t indicate a serious injury.

But if his postseason availability is impacted, the implications are concerning.

The Sox are 71-60 with Rafaela in the starting lineup — and 14-13 otherwise. @MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) September 24, 2026

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Rafaela’s value goes beyond that record split. The 26-year-old is batting .284 with a .319 on-base percentage and .444 slugging percentage in 136 games, along with 16 home runs, 70 RBI and 17 stolen bases. He earned his first All-Star selection this season after winning a Gold Glove in center field in 2025.

His mix of defense, speed and production makes him one of the Red Sox’s most valuable two-way players entering October.

Jarren Duran replaced Rafaela in center field Wednesday, giving Boston an experienced fallback if the injury lingers. A serious setback this late in September could also complicate Wild Card roster decisions and limit Rafaela’s opportunity to regain game rhythm.

Boston still has Thursday’s finale against the Guardians, a Friday doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs, and Saturday’s regular-season finale. If the season ended today, the Red Sox and New York Yankees would meet in the American League Wild Card Series, though that pairing is not yet official. Rafaela remains day-to-day while Boston waits to learn whether the hamstring issue will change its playoff plans.