As long as the Boston Red Sox's starting rotation is inconsistent — and now heavily injured — their bullpen needs to operate at its best to have the best chance to win games. A key Sox reliever may be approaching his return to action.
Justin Slaten has been on the injured list since April 8 with an oblique strain. On Sunday, nearly a full month after his 15-day IL stint began, Slaten made his first rehab start with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. He posted a scoreless inning with two strikeouts, and he only gave up one hit, a great sign for Boston.
Slaten hadn't allowed a run with five strikeouts and two walks over four appearances in relief before his injury. He'll be a crucial reinforcement in the bullpen, but the Red Sox will have some decisions to make before his return. Boston already has three lefties in the bullpen (Aroldis Chapman, Danny Coulombe and Jovani Morán) and it probably won't carry four. Chapman is the closer and Coulombe and Morán have no minor league options so the Red Sox have a tough choice coming soon.
Justin Slaten threw scoreless rehab outing with Sea Dogs, suggesting Red Sox return soon
Final line for Justin Slaten:
— Portland Sea Dogs (@PortlandSeaDogs) May 3, 2026
1.0 IP | 1 H | 0 R | 0 ER | 2 SO | 0 BB pic.twitter.com/lAbzkKKW8j
Red Sox could activate Sonny Gray after minimum 15-day IL stint
Boston is hoping to avoid an IL stint for Ranger Suárez, who prematurely exited his May 3 start against the Houston Astros with a hamstring soreness. Sonny Gray experienced the same fate during his April 20 start against the Detroit Tigers, but could not escape the 15-day IL.
Fortunately, the Red Sox expect Gray's return to action shortly after his minimum stint on the IL. The veteran threw a live batting practice session at Fenway Park on May 1, suggesting he's close to a return. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported that Gray has a locker in the away clubhouse in Detroit. Gray can return as early as Wednesday, May 6, the series finale against the Tigers, but his return has not yet been confirmed.
Red Sox get Tanner Houck update after UCL reconstruction in August
It's been quite some time since Tanner Houck has appeared on the Red Sox's roster. The 2024 All-Star had a disastrous start to the 2025 season (8.04 ERA in 43.2 innings) before a long IL stint revealed his elbow injury. He underwent UCL surgery in August and the recovery timeline for such procedures can take over a year, meaning Boston may not be able to use him until next season.
Houck's recovery is progressing well, according to a May 2 report from Christopher Smith of MassLive. The righty is now throwing six days a week — he'll make 50 throws from 105 feet starting this week after a slow build-up from 60 feet.
It will be months before Houck is ready for game action again. If the 2027 season goes on as planned despite the expected labor dispute, it will be Houck's last season before free agency. He'll have to have quite the bounce-back from surgery to entice the Red Sox into a contract extension or to land a nice deal on the free agent market.
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