Overview
- Major League Baseball added Ceddanne Rafaela to the American League All‑Star roster as the official replacement for Aaron Judge, who is on the injured list with a rib injury.
- This is Rafaela’s first career All‑Star selection after he established himself as a regular in Boston’s lineup.
- Rafaela’s 2026 offensive numbers include a .283/.330/.438 slash line, eight home runs and a 110 wRC+, a metric that measures a player’s overall offensive value relative to league average.
- Defensively Rafaela ranks among the game’s best center fielders with +15 Defensive Runs Saved and +10 Outs Above Average, two stats that track runs saved and play difficulty on balls in the outfield.
- Rafaela joins Willson Contreras and Aroldis Chapman as active Red Sox All‑Stars while Ranger Suarez remains on the 15‑day injured list with a left groin strain and is expected not to play, a change that increases Rafaela’s visibility and could boost his profile for awards and future role decisions.