The Boston Red Sox are set to begin the 2026 season with Carlos Narvaez as the starting catcher. He is looking to bounce back from enduring a knee injury towards the end of last season.
On Monday, Narvaez sat out for the Red Sox against the Toronto Blue Jays, in which the Red Sox won 7-6, per Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. This was due to a back spasm. However, Narvaez will be in uniform just in time for a showdown against the hated rival New York Yankees on Wednesday.
Last year, Narvaez finished the year batting .240 with 15 home runs, 50 RBIs, and 97 hits. In his last spring training game, he went 0-for-1 on Sunday, in which Boston lost 8-7 to the Baltimore Orioles.
Narvaez has played for both teams. In 2015, he signed with the Yankees as an international free agent. Ultimately, he was called up to the major leagues in 2024. However, he was immediately sent back down to Triple–A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and didn't play a major league game.
Meanwhile, Boston is looking to rebound following a loss to the Yankees in the AL Wild Card series. Last year, Boston finished with a record of 89-73.
Boston's spring training schedule will run until Mar. 24 when they play against the Minnesota Twins.
Their season opener will be on Mar. 26 on the road against the Cincinnati Reds for a three-game series. Afterwards, they embark on another three-game road series against the Houston Astros.
Their home opener will be on Apr. 3 against the San Diego Padres in a three-game series.
