As they push toward the postseason, the Boston Red Sox are one of the most heavily injured teams in MLB. Boston will also have more roster turnover in November, after the World Series passes.
There are quite a few players on the Red Sox's roster who may not be long for it, in one way or another. Whether there be demotions due to injured players returning or expiring contracts this offseason the Sox's lineup will look different in the coming weeks to months.
Here are three players whose tenures as members of the 2025 Red Sox are nearing their end for various reasons.
3 players who are entering their final days as a member of the 2025 Red Sox
Nate Eaton
Nate Eaton has posted three short stints with the Red Sox in the big leagues this year, the first of them lasted just one day. But the utility player has been a valuable depth option when Boston has needed him.
Eaton was most recently summoned on August 18 as the roster replacement for Wilyer Abreu, who sustained a calf strain the day before. Eaton was raking in Triple-A before his call-up, with a .365/.420/.667 slash line with three doubles, two triples and four homers in August. He's carried his offensive success into September, with a .381/.435/.476 slash line in nine games.
The Red Sox expect Abreu to be activated between September 16-18, and Eaton is a likely possible roster casualty for his return. Abreu is a superior defender, and he's the Red Sox's home run leader with 22 bombs on the year.
Nick Sogard
Nick Sogard was recalled for his fifth stint in the big leagues this season after Roman Anthony was pulled from Boston's September 2 game against the Guardians with an oblique strain. Like Eaton, Sogard has been a reliable depth option for the Sox all season, and he has five hits, including two doubles, in the five games he's played in since he was recalled.
Boston will more than likely play the rest of the regular season without Anthony, but it expects him back early in the postseason. Sogard would be an easy swap for Anthony — David Hamilton could be another, but he's already held a place on the Red Sox's roster for an inexplicably long time and Alex Cora often puts his speed to good use on the base paths. Boston's pitching depth is also thin at the moment, and a position player seems a more likely roster move than a pitcher during the playoff race.
Liam Hendriks
The Red Sox in February 2024 signed Liam Hendriks to a two-year deal as he rehabbed from Tommy John surgery. Boston hoped he would be healthy in time to pitch late in the 2024 campaign, but setbacks kept him off the mound. Hendriks was also injured to begin the 2025 season, and he began the year on the injured list with elbow inflammation. After his activation, he pitched only 13.2 innings before his return to the IL with a hip issue.
Hendriks' 13.2 innings pitched didn't go well, either, although that's a small sample size. He let up 10 earned runs on 12 hits, notched 12 strikeouts and walked seven batters. Hendriks and the Red Sox also had a disagreement in early August after Cora announced that he likely would not pitch again this season due to his injuries. Hendriks told reporters he disagreed, and that he was dissatisfied with the communication between he and the front office (where have we heard that before?).
Hendriks' contract expires at the end of the season, and it's hard to imagine either side pursuing a reunion for next year. Unfortunately, Hendriks' tenure in Boston wasn't as successful or memorable as he, the Red Sox, or fans hoped.