Alongside the news that beloved interim skipper Chad Tracy will drop his interim tag, the Boston Red Sox got a slew of positive injury updates. Boston is just six games from the postseason and it needs all the reinforcements it can get.
One of the best, if not the best update is that Willson Contreras is swinging a bat following a scary hit by pitch against the Texas Rangers. Contreras on September 17 took a pitch on the side of his hand, immediately fell to the ground in pain and left the game without delay.
Contreras doesn't easily leave games after being plunked, which has happened 24 times this season. His immediate departure led fans to believe he could've been severely injured. Thankfully, that was not the case, as his imaging came back clean. He believed he fractured his hand because it was numb for a few minutes after the hit, but Contreras avoided the worst.
The Red Sox have not announced an estimated return date for Contreras, but any progress is a good sign. He's been Boston's best hitter all season and leads the team in home runs — the Sox can't afford to go to the postseason without him, especially with the New York Yankees' fearsome rotation ahead in the Wild Card series.
Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela near returns to Red Sox after both take batting practice on September 22
Ceddanne Rafaela also took batting practice on September 22. He hit off Garrett Crochet, who threw 16 pitches before Contreras' turn in the batter's box. The outfielder on September 19 told Alex Speier of The Boston Globe that he hopes to be active for the final homestand of the season, which has already started.
Like Contreras, Rafaela has been one of Boston's most consistent hitters all year. The Soxs offense has faltered without the two in the lineup. If his timeline holds, Rafaela should be back before the postseason so the Red Sox can take full advantage of his clutch timing in huge moments.
Rumors swirl about Curtis Mead's recovery following Garrett Crochet's BP session
There were also rumors that Curtis Mead was expected to hit off Crochet following Rafaela's practice, but there has been no confirmation that he actually swung a bat. The Red Sox acquired Mead from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline to bring a righty power bat to their lineup, but he was plunked in his second Red Sox at-bat and the pitch fractured his wrist.
The most recent update on Mead from mid-September was that he was still feeling soreness in his wrist when he tried to swing. The soreness would need to subside for his hitting progression to start, and given the time of the season, many people assumed his year had reached its end. Given that he may not have hit against Crochet, it might still be.
Red Sox send Tanner Houck and Johan Oviedo to Fort Myers to stay loose in case of postseason use
Alongside Crochet, the Red Sox have starters-turned-relievers Tanner Houck and Johan Oviedo nearing the end of their respective recoveries. Both pitchers made rehab assignments with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox before their season ended and they've been sent to Fort Myers to stay loose just in case Boston needs them in the playoffs, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
The Red Sox will have no shortage of pitching depth entering the playoffs, but whether they use any of their rehabbing pitchers is still yet to be seen. Well-rested arms would be helpful, but the team could be concerned about upsetting the chemistry of the preexisting bullpen, which has been one of the best in the sport all year.
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