“The work he put in during the offseason was real,” said manager Alex Cora, who pointed out that Rafaela has six walks already this season after drawing only 15 in 571 plate appearances last season. “He’s in a much better spot.”
Related: Five starts into Red Sox career, Garrett Crochet is just scratching the surface of his potential greatness. And he expects more.
The defense has been there from the start. Rafaela had four defensive runs saved through Tuesday, tied for the most in the majors with Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs.
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Per StatCast, Rafaela is in the 96th percentile for both range and arm strength.
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“Just playing center this season has been great,” Rafaela said before an 8-5 loss against the Mariners on Wednesday at Fenway Park. “Mentally it’s a lot easier just focusing one position.”
Rafaela split his time between center field and shortstop last season with occasional games at second base. Cora said in spring training that Rafaela would stay in center and has followed through.
“The attitude and the concentration, he was locked in from the get-go,” Cora said.
Rafaela feels the chemistry with left fielder Jarren Duran and right fielder Wilyer Abeu has played a big role in his defensive success.
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“I know I can go as hard as I can in the gaps and those guys will back me up,” he said. “We’ve played really well together.”
Wong getting closer
Connor Wong, who went on the injured list April 8 with a fracture in his left little finger, is making rapid progress.
The catcher has been cleared to start a rehabilitation assignment this weekend. How long that lasts is uncertain, but Wong has been catching in the bullpen and taking batting practice and may not need more than a few games.
The Sox expect to activate righthander Lucas Giolito during the Toronto series that starts on Tuesday. He is scheduled for a minor league game on Friday.
Giolito has a 4.97 earned run average in four minor league games and a 1.74 WHIP.
Brayan Bello, who felt some minor calf tightness during his season debut on Tuesday, had no issues on Wednesday.
Cora talks soccer
Cora has become a soccer aficionado in recent years, so much so that he was a guest on the popular “Men in Blazers” podcast that came out on Wednesday.
In an interview with Roger Bennett, Cora discussed what he learned from talking to Liverpool managers Jürgen Klopp and Arne Slot and his thoughts on World Cup games coming to Gillette Stadium in 2026.
NESN’s Tom Caron, who is friendly with a member of Bennett’s staff, helped arrange the interview. Caron is a minority owner of new USL League 1 team Portland Hearts of Pine.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla did the same podcast in February.
Fulmer joins Cubs
Righthander Michael Fulmer, who elected free agency after being designated for assignment on Sunday, signed a minor league contract with the Cubs and will join Triple A Iowa. He made one appearance for the Sox, allowing three runs over 2⅔ innings at Tampa Bay on April 14 … The Mariners made a roster move before the game, calling up righthander Casey Lawrence from Triple A Tacoma. Righthander Sauryn Lao, who pitched 1⅔ innings on Tuesday, was optioned to Tacoma. Outfielder Victor Robles was moved to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster for Lawrence … The Smith College basketball team was on the field before the game to be honored for reaching the NCAA Division 3 championship game last season. The Pioneers finished 31-3 … Aerin Frankel, Megan Keller, and Hilary Knight of the Boston Fleet threw out first pitches. They led Team USA to a gold medal in the IIHF Women’s World Championship on Sunday. Knight was the captain. Frankel, who played at Northeastern, was the goalie. Keller, who played for Boston College, was an assistant captain.
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Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him @PeteAbe.
