2026 Red Sox Injury Updates

[mvp 78]

Rather than getting buried in other posts, figured it might be helpful to have a separate thread for this. 

First one:

 

[mvp 78]

That May return date is looking less and less likely. 

[moonslav59]

Slaten (Oblique strain) to IL and Samaniego called up.

[moonslav59]

Crawford begins rehab assignment with an outing this coming weekend.

Sandoval's Sunday Portland start was snowed out. He will start tonight.

 

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Crawford begins rehab assignment with an outing this coming weekend.

Sandoval's Sunday Portland start was snowed out. He will start tonight.

 

 

[moonslav59]

14 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

 

It was his own error, but they are still unearned.

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

It was his own error, but they are still unearned.

The most annoying rule in baseball.

[moonslav59]

ESPN Injury Report and Est Return Dates:

4/20 Slaten- I doubt he's back in 10 days

4/23 Sandoval- this may be doable, and I assume he heads to the pen in MLB.

4/21 Seigler- not sure about this one, and likely will be in Woo, anyway.

5/5 Crawford- will pitch this weekend

5/12 Casas "Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Casas (knee) is headed for imaging on his ribs after he tried to swing a bat Monday and "it didn't go well," Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports."

5/26 Romy- will be evaluated for surgery on Tuesday

6/17 Oviedo- I'm guessing he's out all year.

2/1/27 Houck- is throwing from 45 feet

[Duran Is The Man]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

ESPN Injury Report and Est Return Dates:

4/20 Slaten- I doubt he's back in 10 days

4/23 Sandoval- this may be doable, and I assume he heads to the pen in MLB.

4/21 Seigler- not sure about this one, and likely will be in Woo, anyway.

5/5 Crawford- will pitch this weekend

5/12 Casas "Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Casas (knee) is headed for imaging on his ribs after he tried to swing a bat Monday and "it didn't go well," Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports."

5/26 Romy- will be evaluated for surgery on Tuesday

6/17 Oviedo- I'm guessing he's out all year.

2/1/27 Houck- is throwing from 45 feet

i've seen more credible reports of Bigfoot than this "Sandoval" character we've heard so much about the last couple of years.

[notin]

1 minute ago, Duran Is The Man said:

i've seen more credible reports of Bigfoot than this "Sandoval" character we've heard so much about the last couple of years.

That explains why the Sox offered Bigfoot a MiLB contract…

[mvp 78]

Seigler started last night for WOO.

[mvp 78]

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

On 4/10/2026 at 9:41 AM, Duran Is The Man said:

i've seen more credible reports of Bigfoot than this "Sandoval" character we've heard so much about the last couple of years.

The only Sandoval seen in a Red Sox jersey was Biggut, who broke his belt buckle before going back to San Francisco, where he flourished once again when he resumed his diet of sea otters.

[Old Red]

Kut Man pulled from rehab start with soreness.

[moonslav59]

39 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Kut Man pulled from rehab start with soreness.

...and Sandoval sucked in his second rehab start.

It seems this rinse & repeat continues, year-after-year.

[mvp 78]

43 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

...and Sandoval sucked in his second rehab start.

It seems this rinse & repeat continues, year-after-year.

If a pitcher hasn't thrown in 18 months, there's a good chance of it being a rollercoaster. 

[moonslav59]

35 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

If a pitcher hasn't thrown in 18 months, there's a good chance of it being a rollercoaster. 

Agreed. He deserves a long look, but is there a limit on his rehab timeline? soxprospects.com says he has one option left, so maybe there is no need to promote him, until he ready.

[mvp 78]

7 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Agreed. He deserves a long look, but is there a limit on his rehab timeline? soxprospects.com says he has one option left, so maybe there is no need to promote him, until he ready.

Yes, there are limitations on the rehab. They also can't just keep putting him on 60 day IL and have him pitch in WOO in outings unless they are intermittently shutting him down. If they think he'll be ready next year, just use the option.

[moonslav59]

8 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Yes, there are limitations on the rehab. They also can't just keep putting him on 60 day IL and have him pitch in WOO in outings unless they are intermittently shutting him down. If they think he'll be ready next year, just use the option.

His contract ends after 2026, so there is no next year for PS.

If he has the option, then yes, we should use it, if needed to keep him rehabbibg.

[Deja Doh]

Contreras? 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Deja Doh said:

Contreras? 

"I think he'll benefit from today and tomorrow [off] and be ready for Friday," Cora said.

[mvp 78]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

His contract ends after 2026, so there is no next year for PS.

If he has the option, then yes, we should use it, if needed to keep him rehabbibg.

Oh, I don't care about Sandoval, was just thinking about Kutter. Sandoval is a lost cause to me. 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Oh, I don't care about Sandoval, was just thinking about Kutter. Sandoval is a lost cause to me. 

Got it.

Crawford has 2 options, but if he gets healthy, it doesn't really matter.

[mvp 78]

15 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Got it.

Crawford has 2 options, but if he gets healthy, it doesn't really matter.

I doesn't matter if he's healthy? Have you seen this bullpen? 

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

I doesn't matter if he's healthy? Have you seen this bullpen? 

Using options doesn't matter.

Of course we should call him up, the second we think he's ready.

[Behindenemylines]

On 4/15/2026 at 2:56 PM, mvp 78 said:

Oh, I don't care about Sandoval, was just thinking about Kutter. Sandoval is a lost cause to me. 

Have the Sox had any luck signing pitchers on the cheap that are rehabbing?

[mvp 78]

12 hours ago, Behindenemylines said:

Have the Sox had any luck signing pitchers on the cheap that are rehabbing?

If they have, it's been a while.

[moonslav59]

From MLB.com...

Patrick Sandoval was in Boston today to undergo some testing after felt some left biceps soreness in the aftermath of his last minor league rehab outing.  Red Sox manager Alex Cora didn’t have any info on the outcome of those tests when speaking with MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other reporters earlier today, and it wasn’t yet known if Sandoval would even be formally pulled off his 30-day minor league rehab assignment.  Sandoval has made two starts during the assignment as he continues to work his way back from an internal brace surgery in July 2024.

Kutter Crawford also hasn’t pitched since 2024 (due to wrist and knee injuries that cost him the entirety of the 2025 campaign), and the right-hander’s own rehab assignment has also been put on pause due to a new health concern.  Crawford underwent an MRI today after he felt some elbow soreness following his first rehab outing, so both Crawford and Sandoval are currently in limbo as they await their next steps.

The Sox have avoided any injury setbacks within their starting five, though these setbacks for Sandoval and Crawford create more questions about the team’s rotation depth.  Johan Oviedo is on the 60-day injured list due to a flexor strain, and recent call-up Tyler Uberstine is on the Triple-A injured list due to shoulder soreness.  Top prospect Payton Tolle made his MLB debut last season and is Boston’s first option for a call-up if a need develops in the rotation.

[moonslav59]

Add Sonny Gray to the worries.

[mvp 78]

3 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Add Sonny Gray to the worries.

They wouldn't let Valera get an MRI and he's out for 2 weeks.