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  • MLB Notes

    Read quick notes on the Boston Red Sox big league club, including injuries, lineup changes and roster moves.

    143 rumors in this category

      Steve Drumwright

      The big storm hitting the northeast has caused MLB to make another change to the weekend schedule, this one being the most dramatic.

      After rescheduling Sunday's game to part of a Friday doubleheader, MLB announced after Game 1 of that twinbill that Saturday's final game of the series, pending the completion of Friday's doubleheader, will be played at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. All of the games that day will start at 3:05 p.m.

      While the Red Sox have secured the AL's second wild card and thus the No. 5 seed, the Cubs' position in the postseason is still not clear. After losing the opener Friday 4-3, the Cubs are 1½ games behind the San Diego Padres for the top NL wild card. The Cubs, who already clinched a playoff spot, are also just a half-game ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies, who host the Rays in a three-game series. The Padres, who clinched Thursday, are hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks in their final regular-season series. The Phillies lead the D'backs by two games for the final berth in the NL playoff field.

      Steve Drumwright

       

      As the Boston Red Sox face elimination, they have suffered a setback with one of their better hitters.

      Outfielder Roman Anthony is being removed from the roster due to injury prior to Wednesday's Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series against the rival New York Yankees. Anthony would be ineligible to play in the AL Division Series should the Red Sox advance. The Red Sox lost Game 1 on Tuesday 9-0.

      Infielder Curtis Mead, out since sustaining a nondisplaced fracture of his left wrist in his Red Sox debut following a trade, replaced Anthony on the roster.

      Anthony aggravated his right hand and wrist injury that sidelined him a good chunk of the season. Serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff, Anthony was removed when his spot came up in the top of the sixth inning. Andruw Monasterio replaced him. Anthony had struck out swinging in the first and third innings. Manager Chad Tracy said Anthony felt something on check swings in each of his first two at-bats.

      According to Tim Healey of the Boston Globe, Anthony sustained "new strains to different muscles," which was revealed after he was driven from New York to Boston after Tuesday's game to get new imaging. Anthony was on his way back to rejoin the team Wednesday. The previous injury was also aggravated.

      Another Globe reporter, Alex Speier, quoted as saying there is "more" damage than previous imaging had revealed.

      Jahmai Jones was in the leadoff spot as the DH for Game 2, with Nate Eaton playing right field and batting ninth.

      Steve Drumwright

       

      Despite being in last place in the AL East, the Boston Red Sox are sending two players to the All-Star Game.

      Left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman and left-handed starter Ranger Suarez were named to the AL roster for the July 14 All-Star Game at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park. It is the ninth trip to the All-Star Game for Chapman and the second for Suarez, who played his first eight seasons for the Philadelphia Phillies.

      Chapman, a two-time AL Reliever of the Year, has 17 saves in 27 appearances this season with a 2.10 ERA. Chapman just surpassed Hoyt Wilhelm record for career strikeouts by a reliever with his 1,364th.

      Suarez will be heading back to Philadelphia sporting a 2.94 ERA in 16 starts, posting a 7.2% walk rate and 25.5% strikeout rate.

      The nine starters for each team were determined by two rounds of fan balloting, with Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement getting automatically selected to start by virtue of leading the first round in the NL and AL, respectively.

      The 23 reserves, which includes 12 pitchers as that position is not up for voting, are selected by player voting and the Commissioner's Office, which ensures that each team has a representative in the game.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The wait for the return of Roman Anthony and Trevor Story is almost over.

      Interim manager Jim Tracy said Saturday that the two Boston Red Sox stars will likely come off the injured list Sunday. Who comes off the roster is another question that the Red Sox brass will contemplate overnight.

      “They’re coming,” Tracy said after the Red Sox lost to the New York Yankees 9-2 to split a doubleheader. The Red Sox won the opener 6-0. The Red Sox remain the No. 2 AL wild card, three games behind the Yankees and six games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians.

      Anthony, the left fielder, and Story, the shortstop, have been out since May, Anthony with a partially tearing a ligament in his right hand and wrist and Story with a sports hernia that required surgery.

      Fitting Anthony in doesn't seem problematic as Tracy said he will be put in the leadoff position against right-handed starters. Trade-deadline pickup Eli White started both games Saturday in left field, while Jahmai Jones would bat leadoff vs. left-handers. Anthony had a slash line of .229/.354/.321 with one homer and five RBIs in 30 games before going on the injured list.

      Story is a little trickier. He will get the opportunity to re-establish himself, but if he continues his early-season struggles, Tracy could opt to go back to Andruw Monasterio, who has helped the Red Sox surge into postseason position. Story has a .206/.244/.303 with three homers and 19 RBIs in 41 games.

      Another injured player, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, is expected to come off the IL on Tuesday when rosters expand by two.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      In what promises to be a busy weekend for bullpen moves, the Boston Red Sox have swapped out another arm.

      The Red Sox on Saturday activated right-handed reliever Justin Slaten from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-handed reliever Jack Anderson to Triple-A Worcester. Slaten was on the IL since April 8 with a strained right oblique.

      Anderson had just been called up Friday and didn't pitch in a 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox entered the weekend without a designated starter for the Saturday and Sunday games. Left-hander Payton Tolle is starting today.

      Slaten appeared in four games and didn't allow an earned run in 3⅓ innings, walking two and striking out five. He posted a 4.24 ERA in 36 appearances with the Red Sox last year after a 2.93 ERA in 44 games in 2024.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The Brayan Bello situation has taken another turn.

      The Boston Red Sox demoted Bello to Triple-A Worcester following yet another bad start by the right-hander Thursday, according to multiple reports.

      The move came after Bello allowed eight runs over five innings in an 8-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Six of those runs came in the first inning. It was the second game this season in which the 27-year-old has allowed eight runs, with another start yielding seven runs and yet another six runs. That is four of his 12 appearances this year, eight of which have been starts. The Red Sox have also tried using an opener for Bello, who is in the third year of a six-year, $55 million contract.

      When questioned by the media about his role on the team and whether he would be better off in the bullpen or the minors, Bello took exception.

      Brayan Bello on whether the big league rotation -- as opposed to the bullpen or Triple-A -- is the right place for him to navigate his struggles:

      [image or embed]

      — Alex Speier (@alexspeier.bsky.social) June 4, 2026 at 2:29 PM

      Bello has a 6.34 ERA and entered Thursday's game with an 8.2% walk rate and a 15.6% strikeout rate. While the walk rate is very close to the MLB average of 8.4% and just off his career mark of 8.3%, his strikeout rate is the worst of his career, below the 15.6% for his career and the MLB average of 22.4%. Opponents are also hitting .310 vs. Bello, the worst mark since his rookie season of .315.

      It was already a busy day on the pitching side for the Red Sox, who promoted right-handed reliever Tommy Kahnle before the game and then traded for left-handed reliever Joe La Sorsa, who was in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization and will be added to the roster prior to Friday's series opener against the New York Yankees. La Sorsa is an easy swap for Bello's spot on the 26-man roster, but a 40-man move will need to be made.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      Another day, another move involving the pitching staff.

      The Boston Red Sox on Saturday placed left-handed reliever Jovani Moran on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his left elbow and called up left-hander Alec Gamboa from Triple-A Worcester. The Red Sox also sent right-handed reliever Garrett Whitlock on a rehab assignment to Triple-A.

      Moran last pitched Thursday, when he went two shutout innings, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out three in an 8-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. For the season, Moran has a 4.23 FIP (3.00 ERA) in 33 innings over 21 games. He has an 11.2% walk rate and a 28.4% strikeout rate in his fifth MLB season.

      Gamboa was called up for the second time this season. He appeared in one game, making his MLB debut in a 10-3 win over the Detroit Tigers on May 5, pitching a perfect ninth inning, including two strikeouts. At Triple-A, he has started six of his eight appearances, posting a 3.66 ERA in 32 innings with one complete game. He has walked eight and struck out 30.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      A big piece of the Boston Red Sox's bullpen is back.

      Right-handed reliever Garrett Whitlock was activated off the 15-day injured list Tuesday by the Red Sox, who optioned infielder Anthony Seigler back to Triple-A Worcester. Whitlock had been out since May 28 (retroactive to May 25) with inflammation in his right knee, meaning this was a minimum IL stint.

      Whitlock, one of the top setup men in MLB, has a 2.80 FIP (3.20 ERA) over 20 appearances and 19⅔ innings with a 7.4% walk rate and 30.9% strikeout rate.

      Seigler was called up Wednesday and played in two goings, going 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a strikeout. At Triple-A, Seigler is slashing .298/.425/.471.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The Boston Red Sox continue to shuffle their pitching staff.

      Right-hander Jack Anderson was called up by the Red Sox from Triple-A Worcester on Friday, with left-handed starter Jake Bennett being sent back to Triple-A.

      Anderson, who is in his second stint this season with the Red Sox, has started three of his five appearances at Worcester, but all three of his games in the majors have been in a relief role, including his MLB debut. The Red Sox have not officially named a starter for Saturday or Sunday, the final two games of the series vs. the Tampa Bay Rays. It is possible Anderson appears in either role Saturday and is sent back down for a fresh arm for Sunday.

      Anderson has allowed three runs on eight hits with two walks and six strikeouts with the Red Sox. At Triple-A, he allowed nine runs on 21 hits, including four homers, with three walks and 17 strikeouts in 18 innings.

      Bennett made two starts as he also had his MLB debut. He gave up five runs on 11 hits with four walks and four strikeouts in 10⅓ innings.

       

      Steve Drumwright

      The uneven start to the season for Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story has hit a pothole.

      Story is reportedly being placed on the 10-day injured list, likely due to the minor groin issue that he has been dealing with most of the season. Infielder Nick Sogard was called up from Triple-A Worcester. Andruw Monasterio is likely to get a bulk of the time at shortstop in Story's absence.

      The oft-injured Story, coming off his first healthy season since 2021, has struggled at the plate and in the field this year. He has a .206/.244/.303 slash line with three homers and 19 RBIs in 41 games. This comes after a 25-homers, 96-RBI season in which he slashed .263/.308/.433.

      Sogard will be seeing his first action of the season with the Red Sox after a combined 61 games over the last two years in which he had a slash line of .266/.321/.335 with no homers and 17 RBIs. He was slashing .269/.417/.454 at Triple-A this year with five homers and 23 RBIs.

      Steve Drumwright

       

      While it took an extra few days, Willson Contreras is officially going to the 2026 All-Star Game.

      The first baseman for the Boston Red Sox was named as an injury replacement for next Tuesday's game at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia. Contreras, an All-Star for the fourth time, replaces Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who said he was not going to play in the game to rest his ailing back.

      4x All-Star Willson Contreras ⭐️ Willson has been added to the AL All-Star team!

      [image or embed]

      — Red Sox (@redsox.com) July 7, 2026 at 10:32 AM

      Contreras joins left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman and left-handed starter Ranger Suarez as representing the last-place Red Sox in the All-Star Game.

      Acquired in the offseason in a trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, Contreras, a former catcher, has had a career season offensively, posting a .284/.378/.542 with 20 homers and 59 RBIs in 86 games. Contreras has already matched his home run totals from last year and 2023, while his career best is 24 in 2019.

      Contreras is also awaiting word on his appeal of a seven-game suspension resulting from an incident with the Washington Nationals. Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli, the other primary figure in that incident, had his suspension reduced from seven to five games and began serving that Monday.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The Boston Red Sox will be without their ace for a while.

      Left-handed starter Garrett Crochet went on the 15-day injured list Wednesday due to inflammation in his left shoulder. Third baseman-outfielder Nate Eaton was called up from Triple-A Worcester to take Crochet's roster spot. Crochet had been slated to start Friday, with left-hander Jake Bennett a likely candidate.

      Crochet hadn't displayed the same form that led to his brilliant 2025 season, when he finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting and went 18-5 with a 2.89 FIP with an 5.7% walk rate and 31.3% strikeout rate, leading MLB with 255 strikeouts. In six starts this year, Crochet had a 4.33 FIP and 6.30 ERA, having allowed five runs twice and 11 in another. He has a 8% walk rate and 26.8% strikeout rate.

      Surprisingly, this move comes after perhaps his best start of the season. In Saturday's 17-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles, Crochet went six shutout innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out seven.

      Eaton played in 41 games for the Red Sox last year, putting up a .296/.348/.383 slash line with one homer, four RBIs and nine stolen bases. In 27 games for Worcester this year, Eaton's slash line is .292/.373/.458 with three homers, 12 RBIs and six stolen bases.

       

      Alex Mayes

      The Red Sox were dealt yet another injury blow on Saturday. Both Masataka Yoshida (hamstring) and Justin Slaten (right elbow soreness) have landed on the injured list before the rubber match against the Pirates on Sunday. 

      To replace them, Mickey Gasper and Raymond Burgos have been called up to the major league roster. 

      We last saw Gasper in June when he was called up amid a torrid streak with the WooSox. He continued that hot streak for a while with the Red Sox but ultimately cooled off against major league pitching. Since being optioned, he’s continued to hit at an incredible clip. He’s slashing .337/.450/.566 with the WooSox this season. It’s unclear just how Gasper will slot into the lineup as of this writing, but he figures to get quite a bit of play at DH while he’s up. 

      Burgos has made two appearances with the Red Sox this season, tossing six combined innings. For the WooSox, he’s sitting at a 5.54 ERA over 65 innings pitched with 54 strikeouts and a 1.62 WHIP. While he doesn’t directly replace Slaten’s backend abilities, he can eat innings, and that’s something the Red Sox are going to need while both Slaten and Garrett Whitlock are on the IL.

      The Red Sox can’t seem to dodge the injury bug as we cross the midpoint of the month of August. There are reinforcements on the way, but both Chad Tracy and Craig Breslow are in unenviable spots with roster construction right now. 

      Steve Drumwright

       

      WIth the return of left fielder Roman Anthony and shortstop Trevor Story made official Sunday, the Boston Red Sox optioned catcher-first baseman Mickey Gasper and infielder Anthony Seigler to Triple-A Worcester to make room on the 26-man roster.

      Anthony and Story were activated from the 60-day injured list and the Red Sox had two open spots on their 40-man roster to accommodate their return. Also, left-handed reliever Raymond Burgos was sent back to Worcester after serving as the extra player in Saturday's doubleheader. Anthony is back after partially tearing a ligament in his right wrist and hand, while Story had surgery to repair a sports hernia. Both have been out since May.

      Anthony was back in his customary leadoff spot and serving as the designated hitter for Sunday's series finale vs. the Yankees, while Story was at shortstop and batting eighth as the Red Sox look for a split of the four-game set.

      Gasper has been a solid bat while with the Red Sox this season, putting up a .278/.374/.466 slash line with five homers and 19 RBIs in 45 games. Seigler has been a nice utility player and has a .250/.331/.405 slash line with three homers and 13 RBIs in 48 games.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      In a bad news, good news situation, the Boston Red Sox are losing one of their top relievers, right-hander Garrett Whitlock for the next two weeks. The good news is the injury doesn't appear to be as serious as it could have been.

      The Red Sox on Thursday placed Whitlock on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his left knee and called up left-handed reliever Tyler Samaniego from Triple-A Worcester. Whitlock was injured on his first warmup pitch as he entered Sunday's game, a 6-5 walk-off loss to the Minnesota Twins. The conditions were not ideal, with rain making the mound muddy and slippery. Whitlock said he hyperextended the knee.

      However, he stayed in to pitch in the top of the sixth with two outs and runners on first and second. The usually reliable Whitlock gave up a tying double and a two-run go-ahead single before getting the final out of the inning.

      Whitlock has made 20 appearances over 19⅔ innings, with a 3.20 ERA, six walks and 25 strikeouts.

      Samaniego is in his third stint with the Red Sox this season, his first in the bigs. He has been excellent across 18 appearances, posting a 1.04 ERA in 17⅓ innings, with seven walks and 13 strikeouts.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      After being a late scratch for Friday's series opener, Isiah Kiner-Falefa is now out through at least next weekend.

      The Boston Red Sox on Saturday placed the infielder on the 10-day injured list with right forearm inflammation. Infielder Anthony Seigler was called up from Triple-A Worcester.

      Kiner-Falefa was in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Seattle Mariners, but was removed about 30 minutes before first pitch with Marcelo Mayer taking over at shortstop. Mayer had missed the previous game due to an illness and wasn't in the lineup. An MRI on Kiner-Falefa's forearm revealed the extent of the injury. He had not been taking batting practice during the recent homestand.

      Kiner-Falefa is slashing .277/.344/.361 with two homers and 13 RBIs in 47 games.

      Seigler is up for the third time this season, but has played in just two games and gone 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and a strikeout. At Worcester, Seigler has a .290/.409/.435 slash line with three homers and 23 RBIs.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      Opting for a bat over a full bullpen for at least a day, the Boston Red Sox have called up outfielder Nate Eaton from Triple-A Worcester on Monday. To make room, recently acquired left-handed reliever Joe La Sorsa was optioned to Triple-A.

      The Red Sox open a three-game road series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.

      Eaton, who has 113 games of MLB experience with the Red Sox and Kansas City Royals, is in the majors for the first time this season. At Worcester, the right-handed hitter was slashing .283/.348/.450 with five homers, 22 RBIs and eight steals in 48 games. He has a career MLB slash line of .233/.293/.317 with two homers, 17 RBIs and 23 steals. In 41 games with the Red Sox last year, he had a .296/.348/.383 slash line, hitting a homer, driving in four and stealing nine bases.

      La Sorsa was acquired last week from the Pittsburgh Pirates after exercising an upward mobility clause in his contract. He appeared in just one game, Sunday's 6-1 loss to the New York Yankees, giving up a three-run homer to Jazz Chisholm Jr. before recording the final out of the eighth inning.

      A move regarding the pitching staff is likely before Wednesday as the Red Sox have yet to announce a starting pitcher for that game.

       

      Nick John

      One day after being designated for assignment, Eduardo Rivera has found a new team as Craig Breslow traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals. The trade was first reported by SoxProspects’ Andrew Parker

      With the organization needing to get their 40-man roster down to 40-active players, Rivera was a casualty of the numbers crunch. It had been reported that the Red Sox were trying to trade him previously but with the roster deadline approaching and no takers, he was DFA'd instead. Now, he’s on his way to St. Louis.

      Rivera, who joined the organization as a minor-league free agent after being released by the Athletics in 2024, rose through the system and made his major-league debut in 2026. The left-hander made four appearances in Boston, going 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA in 10 innings. 

      His season came to a conclusion when he was placed on the 60-Day injured list on September 1.

      In return the Red Sox are receiving 18 year old right-handed pitcher Juan García. García made 11 starts in the DSL where he pitched 43 innings and recorded a 4.40 ERA while striking out 39 batters. 

      Steve Drumwright

       

       

      While awaiting word on the severity of the injury, the Boston Red Sox placed right-handed starter Sonny Gray on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a strained right hamstring.

      Gray was injured in Monday's Patriots Day game against the Detroit Tigers, leaving in the third inning of an 8-6 victory. He was set to undergo imaging Tuesday to determine the extent of the injury.

      Left-handed reliever Tyler Samaniego was called up from Triple-A Worcester. This is Samaniego's second stint with the Red Sox this season. He came up April 8 and made his MLB debut that day against the Milwaukee Brewers, pitching a scoreless inning with three strikeouts and a walk. He pitched 3⅔ innings in three games, without allowing a run, walking three and striking out four.

      Gray, acquired in the offseason via trade from the St. Louis Cardinals as a rotation stabilizer, had a 4.30 ERA in five starts, walking five and striking out 13 in 23 innings. The Red Sox will need to find a replacement in the rotation for Gray, perhaps left-hander Payton Tolle.

      The Red Sox open a three-game series at Fenway Park today against the rival New York Yankees.

       

       

      Jack Lindsay

      The Boston Red Sox have designated left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe for assignment on Saturday after he went two innings against the Mets and walked three. Coulombe struggled through the 2026 season producing a 4.95 ERA in 20 innings of work with a 1.50 WHIP and an 11.4% strikeout rate versus a bloated 13.6% walk rate. The underlying numbers backed up his performance this season, as he produced a 4.71 FIP and a 5.91 SIERA. 

      Coulombe was brought in as lefty help in the spring, with only closer Aroldis Chapman profiling as a legitimate left-handed option, but he did not meet the expectations set for him.

      One interesting note from Chris Cotillo, who broke the DFA news:

      So it seems that beyond his play this season, there was legitimate financial incentive for the Red Sox to make this move. No corresponding transaction has been announced yet.

      Nick John

      All offseason, the Boston Red Sox were looking for a left-handed reliever to add to their bullpen, and with the regular season just two weeks away the team has signed one. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal was the first to report that the Red Sox and free-agent reliever Danny Coulombe came to an agreement Thursday night on a one-year deal. The contract is said to be a major-league deal, meaning he'll join the 40-man roster. The contract is worth $1 million according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

      Coulombe had a season of two halves in 2025. Beginning the season with Minnesota, the reliever was one of the best left-handers in the game as he appeared in 40 games and tossed 31 innings. In that span, he allowed just four earned runs on 21 hits and nine walks. He also struck out 31 batters. However, after getting traded to Texas at the trade deadline, he didn’t perform as well. Appearing in 15 games, he struggled in 12 innings as he allowed seven earned runs on 11 hits and nine walks.

      Prior to 2025, he spent two seasons in Baltimore where he was once more a dominant bullpen arm. In 94 games with Baltimore, he tossed 81 innings and allowed just 23 earned runs. He also walked just 17 batters and struck out 90 in that span.

      With the Red Sox's 40-man roster full, the team is placing Romy González on the 60-Day Injured List to open up a spot.  

      Nick John

      UPDATE: Johan Oviedo is hitting the 60-day IL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Anderson; Tyler Samaniego is being optioned to the minors to clear a spot on the active roster.

      Original post as follows.

      In need of bullpen assistance after Monday night’s loss to the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Red Sox have selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Jack Anderson from Triple-A Worcester, per Ari Alexander of 7News Boston.

      Anderson, who was a selection in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft back in 2024, spent most of 2025 with the Portland Sea Dogs before making three late season starts for Worcester.

      2026 has been an up-and-down year so far for the 26-year-old after pitching for Great Britain during the World Baseball Classic. Since the minor-league season began, he’s made two starts for Worcester tossing 9 2/3 innings. In that span, he’s allowed four runs on eight hits (one home run) and three walks. He also struck out nine.

      There has yet to be a corresponding roster move; both the active roster and the 40-man roster are currently full and will require reconfiguring to make room for Anderson.

      Nick John

      The Boston Red Sox continue to add to their infield depth, as they signed Brendan Rodgers to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training as first reported by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

      Rodgers is the second veteran infielder that Craig Breslow has brought into the organization in the past 24 hours, previously signing Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a one-year contract. Rodgers, who won a Gold Glove in 2022, will compete for a roster spot in spring training.

      The veteran infielder spent most of his career for the Colorado Rockies where he played in 452 games from 2019 until 2024. In that time, he hit .266/.316/.409 with 92 doubles, eight triples, 45 home runs and 197 RBIs. Rogers spent the 2025 season with Houston where he appeared in 43 games and struggled offensively. Overall, he slashed .191/.266/.278 with four doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs.

      Offensively, Rodgers has a lot of swing and miss in his game and doesn’t walk enough to make up for it. In his short run with the Astros, Rodgers put up career highs in both walk percentage and strikeout rate at 8.6% and 35.9%, respectively. In 2025, his approach changed slightly as he began to pull the ball more in the air than he previously did in his career.

      The Red Sox are no strangers to bringing in veteran players on minor-league deals and getting production out of them. Amidst a gaggle of veterans competing for time at second base, Rodgers could emerge as a key contributor in 2026.

      Matthew Lenz

      The Boston Red Sox are hoping to get a boost to their pitching staff late in the season, just in time for the playoffs. Whether that will be in the form of a starter or reliever remains to be seen; however, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald provided an injury update on the former staff Ace.

      She reports that Tanner Houck "starts a throwing program next week and is hoping to contribute in September." Having received Tommy John surgery at the beginning of August 2025, that timeline would put him roughly 13 months removed from the procedure. However, even when pictures are cleared to return, it can typically take two to three months for them to fully recover. While returning in September 2026 is a reasonable goal, don't be surprised if we don't see Houck until 2027.

      Houck, 30, has two more years of team control before entering free agency. While there was some uncertainty whether the Red Sox would tender him a contract this offseason, the right-hander was once the ace of the rotation and looked to be one of the better pitchers in baseball after he broke out in 2024. Across 80 big league starts, Houck has a 4.13 ERA (3.79 FIP) and a passable 14.3% K-BB rate. 

      This will be a storyline to follow, especially as the trade deadline approaches. Depending on the state of the team, will the Red Sox pursue pitching help, or will they be relying on Houck to contribute in September and in the playoffs? Let us know what you think in the comments!

      Steve Drumwright

       

      It is Jake Bennett's day.

      The Boston Red Sox called up Bennett, a left-hander, from Triple-A Worcester to make his MLB debut as the starter in Friday's game against the Houston Astros. Infielder Nate Eaton was optioned to Triple-A on Thursday.

      Bennett, Talk Sox's No. 12 prospect, was acquired from the Washington Nationals in the offseason in a trade for another top prospect, right-hander Luis Perales. In five starts at Worcester, Bennett had a sparkling 0.86 ERA in 21 innings, allowed just three runs (two earned) on 12 hits with three walks and 16 strikeouts. He has a chance to stick in the rotation with the recent injury to ace Garrett Crochet.

      Bennett was a second-round pick of the Nationals in 2022 out of Oklahoma. Bennett missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2023. He returned in 2025 to appear in 19 games (one in relief) and compiled a 2.27 ERA in 75⅓ innings with 19 walks and 64 strikeouts.

       

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