Boston Red Sox navigate late season roster gaps while securing playoff position

The Boston Red Sox are managing a depleted roster in September as they look toward the postseason. Six key players, including Willson Contreras, Ceddanne Rafaela, Curtis Mead, Tyron Guerrero, Justin Slaten, and Garrett Crochet, remain unavailable for the team. Despite recent losses to the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, and Kansas City Royals, Boston maintains a comfortable cushion in the standings. The team currently holds a seven-game lead over Toronto for the final playoff spot and sits five games ahead of Cleveland in the Wild Card race. With the postseason spot largely secured, the remainder of the regular season is being treated as a recovery period for the injured core. The club has 17 days of play remaining before the start of the postseason schedule.

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