Alex Cora has been noncommittal about who will serve as the Red Sox’s starting catcher moving forward. Connor Wong has seen increased playing time, largely due to Carlos Narváez’s slow start at the plate.
“Sometimes you’re hot, and you’re playing the hot hand,” Cora said before Boston’s 4-1 loss to the Tigers at Fenway Park.
Cora entered spring training naming Narváez the starter, but his stance has shifted.
“He’s a catcher for the team, both of them,” Cora said.
Narváez is hitting .195 with no extra-base hits and 14 strikeouts to just one walk in a dozen games. Wong, meanwhile, is batting .333, even after a 0-for-3 showing Saturday, and already has four doubles, halfway to last season’s total.
For now, it appears Cora is riding the hotter bat, even with Narváez’s elite defensive reputation.
“At the plate, just being able to trust in myself and get results has been really nice,” Wong said. “You’ve got to be able to do your job behind the plate and at the plate. It feels good to be myself and just keep building on that and try to help us win games.”
Connor Wong has reached base safely in all seven starts and recorded a hit in six of them.
He’s hitting .400 (8-for-20) with 4 2B, 2 RBI, BB, HBP, SH and SB. https://t.co/boUu0Wxspd
— Chris Henrique (@ChrisHenrique) April 18, 2026
Wong served as Boston’s primary catcher from 2023–24 before a fractured pinky sidelined him early last season. Narváez seized the opportunity, emerging as a key contributor and finishing his rookie campaign with a .241 average, .726 OPS, 27 doubles, 15 home runs, and 50 RBI in 118 games. He also led all MLB catchers with 58 assists and 32 runners caught stealing.
“We know that Narváez is elite,” Cora said. “Connor has been a work in progress the last few years, but he’s swinging the bat well, hitting the ball hard. He knows the pitching staff, and we trust him. It’s not about who’s starting, it’s about trying to win games.”
Both catchers played through injuries last year. Narváez revealed during spring training that he needed surgery as early as July but pushed to stay on the field.
Cora believes Wong has benefited from sharing the workload with Narváez.
Connor Wong has his first multi-hit game of 2026.
Did it only 6 times in 2025. It took until July 30th for it to happen for the first time. pic.twitter.com/Am0Or9UpLV
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) March 29, 2026
“They’re really good at communication and game-planning,” Cora said. “Narvi and Parker (Guinn) come from an organization that’s elite at framing, and that knowledge has helped Connor.
“The thing people forget, Connor is one of the best athletes we have,” Cora added. “He’s improving defensively. Last year he was making real strides before the injury. Without reps, it’s hard to keep progressing, but he’s in a much better spot now than he was two years ago.”
Narváez was benched for a game in early April, though Cora offered little clarity on the decision.
“I just made a change,” Cora said. “I talked to Carlos a little bit and we move on from there. I felt like we needed to make the change in the lineup, and I think it’s for the best.”
When asked if the move was disciplinary, Cora declined to elaborate. Regardless, things have clearly shifted behind the plate, from Narváez entering the season as the No. 1 option to Cora now riding the hotter hand with Wong seeing increased playing time.
Whether it’s simply a matter of performance or something more behind the scenes remains unclear. For now, the Red Sox appear focused on production, and time will ultimately reveal how the situation settles.
Duran has Red Sox’ ‘Full Support’
Jarren Duran was involved in another incident with a fan last week, flipping off someone in the stands who allegedly told him to take his own life. The Red Sox outfielder, who has been open about his past mental health struggles, including a prior suicide attempt, has received full support from the organization.
“It was a really terrible and unfortunate situation,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said on WEEI’s Greg Hill Show. “Jarren said that he should not have reacted the way that he did, but also, there’s no place in our game for comments like the one that was directed at him. So, we give Jarren our full support. He’s been really open about his mental health challenges, and I think that’s had a very positive impact on a lot of people.”
Breslow acknowledged that while Duran’s reaction wasn’t ideal, it’s difficult to judge in the moment. “Jarren said that’s not the way to react, of course,” Breslow added. “The response isn’t representative of how we’d want it to play out, but it’s impossible to project how anyone would respond in that situation. The most important thing is that he knows he has support within the organization.”
According to The Athletic, the Twins’ investigation has not yet corroborated Duran’s claim. The team said in a statement, “We were made aware of the situation late Tuesday and are looking into it. There’s no place in our game for conduct like that.”
As of Saturday, Duran has not made any additional public comments.
Franklin Arias off to Ferocious Start
After the promotions of Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, the Red Sox have only a handful of position player prospects generating buzz.
One of them is infielder Franklin Arias, who has been on an offensive tear this week with Double-A Portland. Over his last 10 games, he’s
