2026 Red Sox Injury Updates

[mvp 78]

10 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

I don't think there are exceptions. If selected at age 18 or younger, it's 5 years/ 19 and older is 4 years then Rule 5.

Valera is eligible DEC 2027, so maybe he pitches some in 2027, and we know more.

No Rule 5 exceptions, but he could earn an additional option year as some injured players have. 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

No Rule 5 exceptions, but he could earn an additional option year as some injured players have. 

What's an "option year?"

He can choose to opt out of a Rule 5 draft in '27?

[mvp 78]

24 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

What's an "option year?"

He can choose to opt out of a Rule 5 draft in '27?

An MiLB option. Some players earn a 4th option year based on injury like Bryan Mata did. He was able to stay on the 40 man roster a 4th year and spend time in WOO for an additional season due to all of his injuries. Luis Perales may earn one as well. 

[moonslav59]

31 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

An MiLB option. Some players earn a 4th option year based on injury like Bryan Mata did. He was able to stay on the 40 man roster a 4th year and spend time in WOO for an additional season due to all of his injuries. Luis Perales may earn one as well. 

Makes sense, so he still would need to be added to the 40 by DEC 2027 to avoid Rule 5, but gains a year of control, right?

[mvp 78]

22 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Makes sense, so he still would need to be added to the 40 by DEC 2027 to avoid Rule 5, but gains a year of control, right?

Maybe gains a year of control? Don't find out for a long time. It's not calculated until after the 3rd year is used up. 

[mvp 78]

Gasper to Fenway

Roman to IL

[Behindenemylines]

All of that starting pitching that the Sox had in February is now injured. When they say you can never have enough pitching it is the truth!

[JoeBrady]

On 5/7/2026 at 7:45 AM, mvp 78 said:

No Rule 5 exceptions, but he could earn an additional option year as some injured players have. 

The option year was what I was referring to.  Does that effectively give us another year, or is there a catch?

[JoeBrady]

23 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

An MiLB option. Some players earn a 4th option year based on injury like Bryan Mata did. He was able to stay on the 40 man roster a 4th year and spend time in WOO for an additional season due to all of his injuries. Luis Perales may earn one as well. 

My head officially hurt now.

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, JoeBrady said:

The option year was what I was referring to.  Does that effectively give us another year, or is there a catch?

MVP says it's not calculated until after 3rd year, but we should know if missing 4 months is enough.

[JoeBrady]

17 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Gasper to Fenway

Roman to IL

I was hoping (before Monasterio) that Gasper would be our #26.

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

MVP says it's not calculated until after 3rd year, but we should know if missing 4 months is enough.

Usually needs more than just 4 months. He has missed time in previous seasons and should be out for 12-18 due to the TJS. 

[moonslav59]

10 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I was hoping (before Monasterio) that Gasper would be our #26.

I like the choice.

[moonslav59]

On 5/7/2026 at 9:06 AM, mvp 78 said:

An MiLB option. Some players earn a 4th option year based on injury like Bryan Mata did. He was able to stay on the 40 man roster a 4th year and spend time in WOO for an additional season due to all of his injuries. Luis Perales may earn one as well. 

Valera would be snagged, if left unprotected, even if the team knew he'd be on the IL for a while, which he shouldn't still be from this injury by Sept 2028.

He's not going to go to the Rule 5 draft, no matter what. This is really about when we need to use up a 40 man slot for him.

[mvp 78]

 

[vegasbob]

Anyone who thought Anthony would make a quick recovery is still mistaken.  A finger ligament could take a month

[moonslav59]

According to MLB.com....

Crochet has begun to throw off the mound.

Suarez should start May 14th,

Anthony has not even begun "baseball activities," yet.

Coulombe "hopes to return" on May 17th.

Romy has been playing catch and "hopes to start swinging on May 15th."

Sandoval is "playing catch to 90 ft."

Crawford is "playing catch" to 90 ft & "will increase volume of throws."

Oviedo will consult with doctor soon (expected return: Late June?)

Casas will visit a doctor soon "to gauge any progress" made.

Houck: Return: Late '26/early '27

[Duran Is The Man]

3 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

According to MLB.com....

Crochet has begun to throw off the mound.

Suarez should start May 14th,

Anthony has not even begun "baseball activities," yet.

Coulombe "hopes to return" on May 17th.

Romy has been playing catch and "hopes to start swinging on May 15th."

Sandoval is "playing catch to 90 ft."

Crawford is "playing catch" to 90 ft & "will increase volume of throws."

Oviedo will consult with doctor soon (expected return: Late June?)

Casas will visit a doctor soon "to gauge any progress" made.

Houck: Return: Late '26/early '27

Sandoval is playing catch to 90' .😂😂  the first thing the f***ing stiff does is trade a healthy Sale for a bag of chips because he had a history of being injured. a year later the doofus signs this POS for $18 and he will never throw the first pitch for the Red Sox. what a clusterf*** of a front office.

[Larry Cook]

On 5/6/2026 at 8:17 PM, moonslav59 said:

I don't think there are exceptions. If selected at age 18 or younger, it's 5 years/ 19 and older is 4 years then Rule 5.

Valera is eligible DEC 2027, so maybe he pitches some in 2027, and we know more.

I have seen Valera pitch this year, pre injury. There is no team in such desperate position for pitching that should take Valera in the rule 5 next year.   (If the rule 5 draft is still around after the strike!) 

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

I have seen Valera pitch this year, pre injury. There is no team in such desperate position for pitching that should take Valera in the rule 5 next year.   (If the rule 5 draft is still around after the strike!) 

Dec 2027 is a long way away.

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

On 5/6/2026 at 7:34 PM, a700hitter said:

Roman Anthony doesn’t seem like the sturdiest of players.

To me this was the big development of the season.  After the WBC we pretty much all  expected big things. He was terrible and now he is hurt. Again.  I sure didn't see that coming.  

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Yaz Fan Since 67 said:

To me this was the big development of the season.  After the WBC we pretty much all  expected big things. He was terrible and now he is hurt. Again.  I sure didn't see that coming.  

It could just be a fluke, but the concern level is high.

I remember we all worried about Mayer's injuries.

[JoeBrady]

6 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

It could just be a fluke, but the concern level is high.

I remember we all worried about Mayer's injuries.

Not worried.  Last year, it was Mayer, before that, it was Story.  Before that, it was Sale.  And I probably missed a few guys.

[moonslav59]

On 5/15/2026 at 3:15 PM, JoeBrady said:

Not worried.  Last year, it was Mayer, before that, it was Story.  Before that, it was Sale.  And I probably missed a few guys.

Anybody can get hurt, but some players seem to always be hurt. The sample size on Anthony is small and not yet to the point where we can call him injury-prone.

The others you listed have missed a lot of time and with multiple injuries.

[JoeBrady]

16 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Anybody can get hurt, but some players seem to always be hurt. The sample size on Anthony is small and not yet to the point where we can call him injury-prone.

The others you listed have missed a lot of time and with multiple injuries.

There are always players missing time, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily injury-prone.

[moonslav59]

1 minute ago, JoeBrady said:

There are always players missing time, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily injury-prone.

I think some players seem more likely than others. I'm not sold on Anthony being one, yet.

Sale is still missing time every year.

Story has had one full season since 2021 and one over 145 games played since 2018.

Call it bad luck or whatever. The reasons matter little to me. I call Sale & Story "injury prone." Mayer may yet udo his label.

[moonslav59]

Crochet:

Expected return: First or second week in June
Status: Threw his third side session in the span of a week, this time two innings, on May 20. Will throw one more short bullpen before facing hitters at some point early next week.

Coulombe:

Expected return: Possibly start of homestand on May 22
Status: Made second appearance of Minors rehab assignment on May 19, allowing a hit and a run over two-thirds of an inning for Triple-A Worcester. 

Anthony:

Expected return: Will miss at least several more days.
Status: Anthony tried to resume swinging on May 18, but experienced soreness. He will try to pick up a bat again at the start of the next homestand on May 22. (Updated 5/18)

Story:

Expected return: Will miss several weeks
Status: Went to Philadelphia to seek a third opinion from Dr. William Meyers on the best source of action for his sports hernia injury. If Story has surgery, he could be out six to 10 weeks. 

Sandoval:

Expected return: Mid to late June at earliest
Status: Threw a side session for first time in several weeks on May 15. (Updated 5/15)

Crawford:

Expected return: No earlier than June
Status: Has been playing catch out to 90 feet and will continue to increase volume of throws and distance as he goes. (Updated 5/12)

Oviedo:

Expected return: No earlier than July
Status: Will soon start forearm strengthening exercises with an eye toward throwing by mid-June.

Romy:

Expected return: June at earliest
Status: Has been playing catch in recent days and hopes to start swinging on May 15. (Updated 5/12)

Casas:

Expected return: June or July at earliest
Status: Expected to visit a doctor soon to gauge if any progress is being made. (Updated 5/12)

Houck:

Expected return: Aiming for late '26
Status: Making 75 throws out to 105 feet three days a week, and 30 throws at 60 feet three days a week while throwing changeups those days. Targeting mound work in late June. (Updated 5/13)

[JoeBrady]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Romy:

Expected return: June at earliest

I wasn't counting on him for much.  A June return would be quite welcome.

[notin]

45 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I wasn't counting on him for much.  A June return would be quite welcome.

I don’t think this offense’s biggest weakness is weak side platoon utility infielders…

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, notin said:

I don’t think this offense’s biggest weakness is weak side platoon utility infielders…

107 wRC+ vs LHP

84 wRC+ vs RHP