"Pedro certainly sounds dismayed about Varitek's parting, but he hasn't given up on the 2026 Red Sox. Nor have many of the players. "I think we've been playing pretty good baseball lately," said Ceddanne Rafaela. "I think it shows we're a pretty good team and we're going to be in a pretty good spot in September." (Ian Browne, MLB.com) They've certainly looked like a pretty good team when Payton Tolle is on the mound and on his game."
Justin Slaten returned to action after recovering from an oblique strain, moving him back into the bullpen pecking order. With bullpen volatility, the Red Sox have sometimes had to use pitchers who are not ideal high-leverage options, including Greg Weissert. A rainout prevented Slaten from pitching, and the lineup included Mickey Gasper as a surprising starting catcher despite no injuries to Carlos Narvaez or Connor Wong. Pedro Martinez also threw a ceremonial first pitch at Fenway and noted that Jason Varitek was not behind the plate, expressing uncertainty about the reason. David Ross returned to Boston and spoke about his time there. Ceddanne Rafaela said the team has been playing good baseball and expects to be in a strong position in September, including when Payton Tolle pitches well.
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