Two All-Stars Down, Fourteen Games Left

Willson Contreras is day-to-day. Ceddanne Rafaela is on the 10-day IL after his hamstring gave out two innings into what was supposed to be his return from a quad strain. That's two of Boston's three All-Stars unavailable, with Triston Casas already long gone on the 60-day. The Red Sox are 74-74, holding the sixth AL wild-card seed, and their lineup is being held together with whatever is left after a season's worth of attrition.

What's left is actually not nothing. Jahmai Jones has been quietly excellent in a small sample, and Mickey Gasper has been one of the more reliable bats in the lineup when deployed. Wilyer Abreu is the everyday core of the outfield. But the depth chart at first base runs through Contreras, then Nick Sogard, then Gasper — and center field without Rafaela falls to Jarren Duran, with Eli White also on the IL. The options exist. They are just thin.

The pitching has been carrying this team for weeks now, and Gray, Tolle, and Suarez have held up their end. The offense is scoring fewer than three runs a game over the last ten. That formula works until it doesn't, and with 14 games left and a magic number of 24, there is no room for another bad week. Boston needs Contreras back soon. Rafaela is probably done.