Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Breakdown
Performance
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June 18, 2026
Pokes homer in loss
Kiner-Falefa started at shortstop and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays.
Analysis
Kiner-Falefa opened the bottom of the eighth inning with his second home run of the season. He got the start at shortstop against a right-hander, which has been a spot for Marcelo Mayer, who was given a breather after five consecutive starts. Kiner-Falefa has been an infield regular since Trevor Story (abdomen) hit the injured list, serving at second base, shortstop and third base. He's been the most productive of a group that includes Mayer and Caleb Durbin. Kiner-Falefa is slashing .304/.368/.435 with two home runs and eight RBI over the last 21 games.
June 18, 2026
Logs two steals in loss
Kiner-Falefa started at third base and went 1-for-2 with two walks and two stolen bases in Wednesday's 3-0 loss to the Blue Jays.
Analysis
Kiner-Falefa put himself in scoring position a couple of times, but the Red Sox continued a dismal run of failing to produce with RISP -- Boston's gone 1-for-24 in those situations and left 26 runners on base in the first two games of the series. Kiner-Falefa unexpectedly has become a lineup regular for Boston, having started 18 of the last 19 games at second base, shortstop and third base. A combination of Trevor Story's abdomen injury and Caleb Durbin's inconsistent bat have led to Kiner-Falefa being a constant presence in the starting nine. He's gone 19-for-65 (.292) with three extra-base hits, six RBI, seven walks, four steals and 12 runs scored during that stretch.
