Craig Breslow made arguably the biggest splash of the trade deadline by acquiring catcher Adley Rutschman from the division-rival Baltimore Orioles. But Rutschman's play hasn't been the splash the Boston Red Sox were hoping for, and an unfortunate update could put even more pressure on the trade.
Rutschman sat out of Boston's August 25-26 games against the Miami Marlins due to right elbow discomfort. The catcher "king of hyperextended" his arm on an aggressive swing, which has caused soreness in his elbow.
The Red Sox also have an off day on August 27 before their Friday series opener against the New York Yankees, so Rutschman will have three days of rest before arguably Boston's biggest series of the year. Interim manager Chad Tracy has said Rutschman's injury is "nothing to be alarmed about," but Sox fans aren't so sure.
Boston's injury estimates haven't been great this year. It went as far as to say it didn't expect Roman Anthony or Garrett Crochet to need injured list stints for their respective issues, but three months later, Anthony is still on a rehab assignment and Crochet is still ramping up to go on one eventually.
Red Sox better hope they're right about the severity of Adley Rutschman's injury
Fortunately, Rutschman told Tracy that his arm has been feeling better and that he "absolutely" expects to be in the lineup against the Yankees. Still, it's reasonable to have doubts, given Boston's history of reporting injuries and Rutschman's injury history.
Rutschman has already been on the IL three times this season (though once was for a concussion after he was hit in the head with a ball, he can't be critiqued for a freak accident). He was on the IL when he was traded to Boston and him missing any more time could make the deal worse than it already is for the Sox.
The Red Sox gave up four top prospects — three from the organization's top five and another in the top 30 — and Carlos Narváez for Rutschman, which is an astronomical price to pay for a player who has only once lived up to his first-overall pick hype. Anthony Eyanson, Boston's former No. 2 prospect, is already dominating on the mound for the Orioles and has the stuff to be a long-term big league starter. Meanwhile, Rutschman is batting .146/.255/.244 with 12 strikeouts and six walks over 12 games with the Sox.
There's still time for Rutschman to hit his stride with the Red Sox and contribute offensively during the most important part of the season, if he can stay healthy. If he can't, it will make it much harder to look at Boston's 2026 trade deadline as a success.
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