Peralta, Volpe, Red Sox Health: AL East X-Factors — SkimNews
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- Tampa Bay Rays lead the AL East by three games over the Yankees but face a tougher remaining schedule including the Astros, Phillies, Red Sox, and a four-game series against New York; Tampa Bay is 6-3 against the Yankees this season and needs just one more win to clinch the season series and tiebreaker.
- Freddy Peralta, acquired from the Mets at the trade deadline, has posted a 4.35 ERA with the Rays but has gone six innings in each of his last three starts while yielding just two runs, with batters hitting .200 against his fastball in that span.
- Shane McClanahan went down with forearm tightness on Sept. 4, the latest setback for a pitcher with prior Tommy John surgery and a back injury that sidelined him roughly three weeks until mid-August.
- Anthony Volpe, recalled from Triple-A after adjusting his hand setup higher in his stance, hit a grand slam against the Rockies on Thursday night that drew a curtain call at Yankee Stadium.
- Boston Red Sox went 48-21 since June 25 to storm back from 14 games under .500 and now sit in the second wild-card spot at 80-67, six games ahead of the Guardians.
- Willson Contreras (hamstring strain since Aug. 31) is set to begin a rehab assignment Friday and could rejoin Boston as soon as Saturday, while Ceddanne Rafaela (quad strain) is eyeing a return next week; Caleb Durbin has slumped to .182 over his last 15 games and Garrett Crochet has missed most of the season with a shoulder injury.
Why it matters: The Rays-Yankees four-game set carries direct tiebreaker implications, with Tampa Bay needing just one win to lock the season series after going 6-3 against New York. Boston's six-game wild-card cushion looks safe, but the looming returns of Contreras and Rafaela — combined with Garrett Crochet's likely shift to a bullpen role after missing most of the season — will determine whether the Red Sox's 48-21 summer run produces a first-round postseason exit or something deeper.
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