The Boston Red Sox closed out a weekend series win against the Kansas City Royals and used Monday as a scheduled off day before opening a road set against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.
The matchup pits Texas ace Jacob deGrom against Boston left-hander Patrick Sandoval, and interim manager Chad Tracy responded by shuffling his starting nine.
One of the more notable adjustments involved Jarren Duran.
The outfielder had appeared only as a pinch hitter Sunday, taking a single at-bat from the ninth spot. On Tuesday, he returns to the lineup batting seventh, slotted ahead of Caleb Durbin and Nick Sogard, and starts in center field, via Underdog MLB.
That position has become his primary home in recent weeks after injuries sidelined Ceddanne Rafaela and Eli White.
The rest of the order reflects a mix of established names and recent additions.
Roman Anthony leads off in left field, followed by Masyn Gasper at designated hitter, Adley Rutschman behind the plate, Willson Contreras at first, Wilyer Abreu in right, Trevor Story at shortstop, Duran in center, Durbin at third and Sogard at second.
Duran’s 2026 season has been uneven. In 140 games and 527 at-bats he is hitting .205 with 108 hits, 20 home runs, 69 RBIs and 65 runs scored. His slugging percentage sits at .362 and his OPS at .623.
Those numbers have left his long-term role uncertain once Rafaela and White are healthy again.
A strong finish over the final weeks, or a productive postseason if Boston reaches October, could still change the conversation. Without that surge, the club may look to move on from him this winter.
Tuesday’s game therefore carries extra weight for the 28-year-old.
A productive night against deGrom would not only help the Red Sox in a late-season series but also give Duran a chance to remind evaluators of the tools that once made him a prospect of note.
Whether that performance arrives or not, the lineup card posted before first pitch already signals that Tracy is willing to give him another look in a prominent spot while the roster remains in flux.
