Nate

Eaton

This one was 4-4 after one, 4-4 after five and then 10-7 Boston after six. The Red Sox added one insurance run from there, which proved important when the Jays scored three times in the ninth. Eaton helped a bunch. One of his doubles was a 408-footer to center that would have been a homer in 20 MLB ballparks. He seemed like a non-tender candidate in November, but the Red Sox liked him enough to keep him on the 40-man, even after signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa and acquiring Caleb Durbin to seemingly knock him out of a projected bench role. He still might get one, however, if Romy Gonzalez opens up on the IL.

Both veterans were originally meant to be short-side platoon players for the Red Sox, but have been thrust into larger roles with injuries to Roman Anthony, Wilyer Abreu, and Marcelo Mayer. Refsnyder has hit .265 in 11 games this month with two home runs and seven RBI, while Gonzalez has hit .340 in 12 games in September with one home run and seven RBI. David Hamilton will start at second base and Nate Eaton will start in right field on Thursday.

With left-hander Cade Povich on the mound for the Orioles, the Red Sox are going with a right-handed-heavy lineup, which includes Refsnyder at DH and batting fifth. Jhostynxon Garcia is also starting in left field and batting ninth, while Nate Eaton will play centerfield and bat sixth.

Eaton went 6-for-24 with two doubles in 12 games for the Red Sox earlier this season. He’ll see time in the outfield against left-handers until Rob Refsnyder returns.

Eaton has been shipped back to the minors with Masataka Yoshida (shoulder) set to be activated from the injured list for Wednesday’s game against the Rockies at Fenway Park. The 28-year-old infielder hit .250 (6-for-24) with three steals in 14 games with the Red Sox after being called up on June 16.

Duran finds himself in the lower third of Boston’s lineup once again with lefty Kyle Freeland taking the ball for Colorado in this one. Nate Eaton has been bumped up to the leadoff spot for the fourth consecutive game.

It doesn’t come as a total surprise to see Duran on the bench against Rockies lefty Austin Gomber, especially given Ceddanne Rafaela’s remarkable turnaround at the plate in recent weeks. It’ll be lefty-masher Rob Refsnyder getting the nod in left field with Wilyer Abreu in the opposite corner and Roman Anthony at DH on Monday night at Fenway Park. Unheralded utility specialist Nate Eaton gets his third straight start in the leadoff spot with Marcelo Mayer on the bench for the third consecutive contest.

Abreu heads to the bench with top prospect Roman Anthony getting the opportunity to face Nationals lefty Shinnosuke Ogasawara in the southpaw’s big-league debut. It’s notable that Marcelo Mayer is also on the bench in this one with Nate Eaton getting another chance at the hot corner and leading off for the second straight contest.

Eaton gets the nod over top prospect Marcelo Mayer at the hot corner, and also receives his first shot in the leadoff spot to face Nationals lefty Mitchell Parker with Jarren Duran dropped to seventh in the order. The other notable development for the Red Sox is that top prospect Roman Anthony is getting a chance to face another southpaw.

Anthony will take a seat with southpaw Yusei Kikuchi on the mound. The Red Sox are loading up on right-handers against Kikuchi with Anthony, David Hamilton and Abraham Toro out of the lineup and Romy Gonzalez along with Nate Eaton and Rob Refsnyder taking their place.