Boston shuffled its outfield before Monday's A's opener, moving Jarren Duran to left and Nick Sogard to right after initially testing a reversed setup. Duran leads off for the first time in a few games, while Sogard sits in the eighth spot as the lineup otherwise stays in its original order. The move was sparked by a glut of injuries in the system and Refsnyder's day-to-day status, but manager Alex Cora insisted the swap was about optimizing defense and lineup balance rather than chasing a gimmick.

The Sox leaned into Duran's elite left-field defense and Rafaela's center-field upside, with Sogard, a switch-hitter, providing flexibility against A's righty Luis Morales. The final arrangement kept the core bats in place (Bregman at 2B, Story at SS, Lowe at 1B, Yoshida at DH, Rafaela in center, Narváez catching), while the outfield roles were adjusted to maximize the team’s upside in this three-game set.

For fantasy managers, the leadoff opportunity for Duran and the defensive reliability offered by Rafaela could unlock more runs and stolen-base potential in this series. Sogard's switch-hitting and position flexibility also raise his daily-spot viability, particularly in value-based lineups where salary relief matters. The injury situation and the lineup shuffle add a wrinkle to Boston's usual approach, but the path to production remains tied to run creation and defensive playmaking.