Isiah Kiner-Falefa hurt, Caleb Durbin surging, Ranger Suarez’s gem: Red Sox takeaways

The Jekyll-and-Hyde season for the Boston Red Sox continued over the weekend in Seattle, as Boston took two of three from the American League West-leading Mariners but dropped the finale when presented with a chance for a sweep.

The Red Sox fell 3-1 to the Mariners on Sunday with Payton Tolle (three earned runs in six innings) on the mound but little on offense. That loss came after two strong offensive days from the club, with impressive starts from Ranger Suarez and Connelly Early. Suarez carried a no-hitter into the seventh Friday night in a 6-2 win.

The Mariners offer a case study of what the Red Sox could have been. Despite playing in a weaker AL West, they still lead the division with an unspectacular 40-39 record. Meanwhile, the 31-44 Red Sox sit in the cellar of the AL East, six games back of the third wild-card spot.

Both teams have top-10 pitching. Seattle has the league’s fifth-best ERA at 3.62, and the Red Sox have the eighth-best mark at 3.85. Offensively, they’re equally as awful, with Seattle owning a .232 average (25th) and .700 OPS (24th), while the Red Sox have a .243 average (18th) with a .692 OPS (27th).

And yet, the Mariners have found a way to .500. Had the Red Sox played .500 ball to this point, they’d be sitting in third place in the AL East and squarely in the wild-card picture.

Kiner-Falefa sidelined

Another day, another injury for the Red Sox. Isiah Kiner-Falefa landed on the 10-day injured list Friday with left forearm inflammation. He told reporters he’d been dealing with the ailment for the past two weeks but that it flared up this past week — so much so that he didn’t take swings in batting practice because of the pain.

Saturday, the 31-year-old had an MRI that showed inflammation, but he’s scheduled to get further testing when the team returns to Boston on Thursday. Interim manager Chad Tracy said they have not ruled out more serious conditions, such as a stress fracture.

Kiner-Falefa started the year slowly but went on a tear in mid-May, hitting .455 over a 12-game stretch before the forearm inflammation cropped up. In 47 games, he’s hitting .277 with a .705 OPS, having started 21 games at second base, nine at shortstop and five at third base.

The Red Sox recalled infielder Anthony Seigler from Triple-A Worcester to fill Kiner-Falefa’s spot.

Kiner-Falefa had seen increased playing time at second base when Marcelo Mayer moved to shortstop following Trevor Story’s sports hernia injury in early May.

In Kiner-Falefa’s absence, Tracy said he’ll platoon Seigler, a switch hitter who mostly bats lefty, and right-handed hitter Andruw Monasterio at second base.

As for Mayer, he was out of the lineup Thursday in Boston and had been scheduled for a day off Friday with Kiner-Falefa playing short. But Kiner-Falefa was a late scratch, and Mayer was thrust into the lineup. Mayer had gone 2-for-15 in his last five games but collected two hits and the first three-RBI game of his career Friday, then drove in another run on a groundout Saturday before a hitless Sunday.

Suarez knocking on the All-Star door

Amid a disappointing year for the team, Suarez has been a bright spot. His brilliant start Friday snapped a four-game losing streak for the Red Sox, and he held the Mariners hitless until Josh Naylor’s one-out double in the seventh. Suarez had walked a batter before Naylor’s hit, then walked another to load the bases before Tracy turned to Justin Slaten to get out of the inning.

Still, Suarez finished with 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and three walks and striking out five.

Painting corners. 🎨 pic.twitter.com/F90HklC5OE

— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 20, 2026

His 2.93 ERA leads the team and is his lowest ERA since becoming a full-time starter in 2022. His 75 strikeouts and 76 2/3 innings are second only to Early, with one fewer start than the rookie.

All of that should garner Suarez some interest as All-Star selections are being made. This year, the All-Star Game is in Philadelphia, where Suarez spent his entire MLB career before signing a five-year, $130 million deal with the Red Sox this offseason.

Suarez has only been named an All-Star once previously, in 2024.

Durbin stays hot

Since he began working with a private hitting coach in May, Caleb Durbin has been on a tear at the plate.

Durbin goes yard in back-to-back games! pic.twitter.com/fJOJLOvbMh

— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 20, 2026

Over the weekend, he stayed hot, going 7-for-11 in the series with a home run and two doubles. His homer Friday gave the Red Sox an early lead, and his RBI single Saturday padded the team’s lead.

Over his last 20 games, Durbin is hitting .320 with a .910 OPS, seven doubles and four homers. In his first 48 games, he hit .163 with a .479 OPS, eight doubles and one homer.

Durbin has worked to keep his hands closer to his body and to have a more upright stance at the plate. The improved mechanics have helped him become one of the team’s most productive hitters over the past month.