Jahmai Jones is out. The Boston Red Sox scratched their planned leadoff hitter and designated hitter just before Monday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, according to Red Sox beat writer Mac Cerullo.
Mickey Gasper slides into the DH spot in his place, and the entire lineup card shifts as a result. No reason for the scratch has surfaced yet, and Jones is considered day-to-day.
| BOSTON RED SOX STARTING LINEUP | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SP: Alec Gamboa (LHP, #68) • 0-0, 1.59 ERA, 12 K | ||||||||
| August 17, 2026 • Fenway Park, Boston, MA • 7:10 PM EDT • D-backs at Red Sox | ||||||||
| # | Player | Pos | B | HR | RBI | SB | AVG | OPS |
| 1 | Jahmai Jones | DH | R | 4 | 13 | 3 | .203 | .633 |
| 2 | Ceddanne Rafaela | CF | R | 16 | 63 | 16 | .285 | .786 |
| 3 | Wilyer Abreu | RF | L | 22 | 65 | 8 | .257 | .808 |
| 4 | Willson Contreras | 1B | R | 24 | 72 | 3 | .278 | .912 |
| 5 | Adley Rutschman | C | S | 8 | 47 | 0 | .239 | .736 |
| 6 | Caleb Durbin | 3B | R | 12 | 60 | 14 | .252 | .727 |
| 7 | Andruw Monasterio | SS | R | 6 | 35 | 4 | .265 | .764 |
| 8 | Eli White | LF | R | 5 | 18 | 5 | .235 | .675 |
| 9 | Nick Sogard | 2B | S | 0 | 5 | 0 | .240 | .663 |
| Lineups subject to change. | ||||||||
Jahmai Jones Scratched Before First Pitch
Jones had been penciled in atop the order and as DH before multiple Red Sox beat reporters flagged the late change, including The Athletic‘s Jen McCaffrey.
Boston’s updated lineup now runs Nick Sogard at leadoff and second base, followed by Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Willson Contreras and Adley Rutschman. Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Gasper and Eli White round out the bottom of the order, with left-hander Alec Gamboa on the mound opposite Arizona’s Mitch Bratt.
No specific injury or illness has been publicly detailed. The Red Sox simply announced the change and moved on, a pattern that’s become familiar in a lineup already picking up the pieces from Masataka Yoshida’s absence.
Late scratches happen for all sorts of reasons, such as tightness that flares up during warmups, a stomach bug, a scheduled rest day gone unannounced. Until Boston or Jones addresses it directly, fans are left to speculate, and the uncertainty only sharpens the spotlight on a player who’s been nothing but productive since he arrived.
Gasper Steps Into A Crowded DH Mix
Gasper was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Sunday, the corresponding move after Yoshida landed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, according to CBS Sports. Yoshida is expected to miss several weeks, with a return targeted for sometime in September.
Adley Rutschman filled in at DH for Sunday’s series finale against Pittsburgh. Jones was next in line for Monday before the late scratch reshuffled the plan entirely.
Gasper has hit .243 with a .305 on-base percentage across 119 plate appearances in the majors this season, a modest but steady line for a player who’s bounced between Worcester and Boston since June. He offers no real power, but he gives interim manager Chad Tracy a left-handed-hitting body capable of catching if needed behind Rutschman.
The bigger question hovers over Jones. He arrived from the Detroit Tigers on July 14 in a trade for minor-league left-hander Jojo Ingrassia and turned into one of Boston’s hottest hitters almost immediately, batting .478 with a 1.433 OPS in his first stretch with the club.
Detroit had designated him for assignment after a rough stretch that saw him hit just .137 there this season, a sharp drop from a strong platoon role in 2025. Boston bet on the earlier version of Jones, and through his first weeks with the club, that bet has paid off. A scratch with no disclosed cause interrupts that momentum.
Whether Monday’s absence stretches beyond one game remains to be seen. For now, Gasper gets the call, and Boston waits on more information about the player who’d quietly become one of its best stories of the summer.
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