Early dazzled in his MLB debut, striking out 11 over five innings to tie a Red Sox record. He navigated jams and flashed a fastball-slider mix that left Oakland off balance, capping a dominant first big-league outing.

Boston chased Springs early, with Romy Gonzalez's leadoff homer and Rob Refsnyder's 463-foot shot fueling a 4-0 first. The win sharpens Boston's rotation plans, while fantasy managers should stash Early and monitor Kyle Harrison's status; Refsnyder's bat remains a trustworthy asset in a strong BOS lineup.

Alex Bregman’s move to Boston fuels a high-stakes September sprint for the Red Sox, turning the month into a postseason warm-up. His playoff streak, unmatched since his first full season in 2017, becomes the focal point of Boston’s bid to stay in the AL wild-card race as the lineup and clubhouse cohere around his leadership and relentless preparation.

Devers’ exit to San Francisco creates a slugging void the rest of the lineup must fill, while Bregman’s presence—a mix of veteran poise and competitive fire—helps the Sox chase October. The rotation and bullpen—Bello, Crochet, and Giolito at the top—shape their path, with the city’s energy and the history of Red Sox playoff runs adding pressure and pride to every September pitch.

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.

Kipp Heisterman’s MLB HR prop picks for 9/5/2025 spotlight value over power. The slate features Happ, Freeman, Story, and Chisholm in favorable spots with deep tracking of batted-ball metrics, splits, weather, and parks to hunt for non-obvious edges in round-robins. Odds come from DraftKings and shopping around is advised to maximize value as lines move.

Happ, Freeman, Story and Chisholm each carry 0.5 HR props with notable payout, backed by strong recent power and favorable favorable matchups. A knee update for Chisholm adds a layer of risk management, while the piece emphasizes price efficiency and upside over popular, obvious bets.