The Boston Red Sox are gearing up for the start of a three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates as the team looks to get back on track.
After blitzing their way toward playoff contention, Boston has fallen back a little, dropping the last two series it’s played. The Red Sox lost three of four to the Toronto Blue Jays in their last series, and now the only focus is getting back to square one.
Boston was able to break out an impressive 7-0 win over Toronto in the finale yesterday, and now the team will try to get back in line. The offense from the Red Sox has been a little stagnant these last few games, but the series with the Pirates could be just what they need.
Jarren Duran Decision Announced vs Pirates
As the matchup with Pittsburgh gets going, Boston has dropped the lineup for the first game of the series. Within, the Red Sox will be hitting star Jarren Duran in the No. seven spot for this game.
Red Sox 8/14
N. Sogard 2B
M. Yoshida DH
A. Rutschman C
W. Contreras 1B
W. Abreu RF
C. Durbin 3B
J. Duran LF
A. Monasterio SS
E. White CFJ. Bennett SP
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) August 14, 2026
Jarren Duran Problem for Red Sox
While Boston has been able to put itself back into playoff positioning, Duran has been trying to break out of his slump all season long. The All-Star outfielder has struggled at the plate this year, but he’s been putting in the work behind the scenes.
However, nothing has seemed to work for him, and the situation has been frustrating for all involved. Duran has hit .201 with 16 home runs nd 61 RBIs this season, while posting an OPS of .613.
These numbers just aren’t going to get the job done, and Duran knows that he has been limiting the team. The veteran opened up about his struggles recently, saying that he believed Boston could release him since he’s been so bad at the plate.
“To be honest, I thought I was going to be released… I am the worst player in MLB statistically. I hate looking at the numbers but when you’re going bad, you look at the numbers and it was pretty obvious how bad I was,” Duran said. “I thought I was going to be released… I’m just thankful that I have the opportunity to continue this run with this team and this organization, and hopefully make a playoff push.”
Duran still has two more years of team control left on his contract after this season, putting the Red Sox front office into some tough decisions to make. But Boston has stood by the outfielder so far, and this offseason will be very telling.
The veteran has been subject to trade rumors over the last few seasons, but after his poor year, Boston may want to see if he can bounce back to maximize value. However, if the Red Sox don’t want to deal with the offensive problems again, moving him now could make some sense.
This team wants to compete for a title, and Duran has been a limiting factor this year. But if the All-Star can hit when it matters most, all will be forgiven in Boston.
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