The Boston Red Sox have gone on their 24-3 winning streak without some of their lineup's biggest stars, and that trend continues with Adley Rutschman. The Red Sox traded for the three-time All-Star catcher before the August 3 trade deadline, but he begins his tenure with the team on the injured list.
Rutschman has been on the IL since July 19 with wrist inflammation. Before they traded him to their division rival, the Baltimore Orioles expected the catcher to be ready for a rehab assignment sometime this week, but the Red Sox are being more cautious about giving a timeline.
Before his team's August 4 rout of the Chicago White Sox, interim manager Chad Tracy shared that Rutschman has already begun a hitting progression. Tracy said Rutschman would meet with the Sox's medical staff and they'll work together to determine when he can go on a rehab assignment, based on the team's assessment and how Rutschman feels.
Adley Rutschman has begun hitting progression as Red Sox debut approaches
The news that Rutschman is already hitting is a good sign for Boston, as having him in the lineup as soon as possible is the best way to make use of the massive payment Craig Breslow had to make to get him in the first place. On a more positive note, the injury gives Rutschman a chance to meet his new teammates and get a sense of how the Red Sox are going without having to be behind the plate.
Injury updates from Chad Tracy ❤️🩹
— NESN (@NESN) August 4, 2026
• Roman Anthony continues to swing, he "hit BP today for the first time"
• Garrett Crochet started throwing yesterday (50-60 ft), "very infant stages" of progression
• Kutter Crawford is still a ways off
• Tanner Houck is doing multiple… pic.twitter.com/cOonhfoJPT
Red Sox announce that Roman Anthony is taking BP in the cage, Garrett Crochet throwing from 50-60 feet
Along with the news that Rutschman is already swinging, Boston got another set of exciting injury updates. Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet's recoveries are finally progressing, giving the Sox renewed hope that they may be able to return during the regular season.
Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reported on July 31 that Anthony had begun swinging a bat and hitting off a tee. Less than a week later, Tracy said Anthony has begun taking overhand batting practice in the cage.
Tracy also mentioned that Crochet began throwing on August 3. The ace is still very early in his throwing progression, only reaching 50-60 feet on flat ground, but any progress is good when he's been out of commission since April 26.
Both players still have a long way to go before their returns to the roster. A full hitting and throwing progression could take weeks to get through, even with no setbacks, and they still have long rehab assignments ahead since they haven't played in a game in over three months.
The Red Sox's borderline-miraculous turnaround came without Anthony or Crochet in the lineup, but that doesn't mean they won't be critical to a playoff run. If either player returns and posts anything close to the impact they had last season, Boston could be unstoppable in the Wild Card race.
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