On Sept. 6, the Red Sox placed outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela on the 10-day injured list with a right quadriceps strain, retroactive to Sept. 3, and recalled infielder/outfielder Nate Eaton from Triple-A Worcester.
Rafaela, 25, was hitting .282 with 16 home runs, 70 RBIs and a first All-Star nod. He had made 130 starts in center field. He left Wednesday's Mariners game with tightness and missed the first three games in Baltimore before the club backdated the IL move.
Interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters it is realistic to expect Rafaela back when first eligible around Sept. 13, the finale of a six-game Fenway homestand. Willson Contreras and Masataka Yoshida were already on the IL with left hamstring strains.
