At the beginning of the 2025 season, the Boston Red Sox's roster and minor league system was stacked with pitching depth. By the time the playoffs arrived, much of said depth was decimated by injuries.
The hurt started when the Red Sox placed Tanner Houck on the injured list on May 14. He didn't return to the roster for the rest of the season and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery. Then, as he made a play at first base, Hunter Dobbins tore his ACL, and spent the rest of the season on the IL as he recovered from surgery. Richard Fitts, Dustin May and Lucas Giolito also finished their seasons on the IL.
Dobbins made his MLB debut on April 6, and posted a 4.13 ERA over 61 innings on the season. His stats don't jump off the page, but whenever Boston needed a start made, Dobbins stepped in and gave the Sox about 4.2 innings per appearance.
The Red Sox expect the 26-year-old to be ready to play in 2026, although a timeline for his recovery hasn't been confirmed by the team yet. Dobbins feels some reporters and fans haven't properly represented the status of his recovery progress, and took to Twitter to clear up any confusion.
Red Sox pitcher Hunter Dobbins may share his own ACL surgery recovery updates on social media
Quick question, since I keep seeing people say that I’m out for most of next season. Would anyone enjoy updates about rehab and what the process entails?
— Hunter Dobbins (@HunterD_20) October 7, 2025
In hopes to reassure fans that he won't be sidelined for the entire 2026 season, Dobbins has offered to give rehab updates and describe his recovery progress on Twitter. In the comments, he answered some questions from fans: He hopes to return as a starter and not a reliever, he hopes to develop into the No. 2 in the rotation, and he expects to have a "normal" spring training.
The list of options for the Sox's rotation is going to be crowded. Garrett Crochet is the clear ace and Brayan Bello took huge steps forward in 2025, so they're locks for spots (barring any injuries). Top prospects Payton Tolle and Connelly Early could be in the mix, and Patrick Sandoval could be ready to return to action by Opening Day. Fans and reporters have also implored Boston to sign or trade for a clear No. 2 starter to pitch behind Crochet, which would further shrink the number of available spots for Dobbins.
Still, as Craig Breslow has said on multiple occasions, clubs can never have too much pitching depth. The Red Sox will find a role for Dobbins somewhere on the pitching staff, and improvements in his strikeout rate could earn him a spot in the rotation.
In the meantime, fans would appreciate firsthand updates on his recovery and insight into the healing and strengthening process. Dobbins was a champion of Red Sox Twitter during their playoff run, and any recovery progress updates he chooses to post will make him even more popular among Sox fans.