The Red Sox didn’t need long to get a feel for what Adley Rutschman can add. In his first game in the organization, the catcher showed up at Triple-A Worcester and delivered the kind of all-around line that makes a club feel good about a major move: a double, two walks, two runs scored and a runner thrown out trying to steal.
Rutschman, who started a Minor League rehab assignment on Saturday, was playing for the first time since July 18 because of left wrist inflammation. That made the performance even more notable. Wrist issues can sap a hitter’s rhythm and power, but Rutschman looked plenty comfortable both at the plate and behind it.
Defensively, he made an immediate statement. Lehigh Valley’s Colby Thomas tried to swipe second base in the first inning, and Rutschman cut him down with an accurate throw. He stayed at catcher for five innings before Worcester pulled him from the game as part of a controlled return.
At the plate, the signs were just as encouraging. Rutschman drove in runs with a two-run double and reached base twice more on walks. For Boston, that kind of production in his first competitive game in three weeks was about as strong a start as it could have asked for.
The Red Sox are still taking the cautious route. MLB.com’s Ian Browne reported that Rutschman is expected to DH for Worcester on Sunday, after which Boston will decide whether he needs another rehab game or is ready to join the big club in Toronto.
Boston opens a four-game road series against the Blue Jays on Monday night.
“When you’re talking about a player of his caliber and how long he’s been around, I think he knows his body,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said, per MLB.com. “And then you also trust the medical staff.”
Tracy also said Boston will not ask Rutschman to catch five straight games right away once he’s activated.
The timing matters, because the Red Sox are already rolling. They came into the weekend with nine straight wins before Saturday’s loss to the Athletics, and even that defeat didn’t do much to slow the momentum they’ve built over the last six weeks.
Now they’re looking at the possibility of adding another big piece to the mix. Rutschman brings three All-Star selections and plenty of experience managing an American League East pitching staff.
His offense dipped late in his time with Baltimore, but the upside is still obvious. In 2023, he posted an .809 OPS with 20 home runs and earned his first All-Star nod as a starter.
Boston will want to see how the wrist responds before making any final call. But in his first test, Rutschman checked nearly every box: he got on base three times, hit for extra bases and made an immediate impact behind the plate. If Sunday goes well too, his first appearance in a Red Sox uniform may not be far off.
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Red Sox Trade Is Already Creating A Debate Boston Fans Dread
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Now the broader question is no longer just when Casas comes back, but what Boston does next. The club has other names in the mix for first base, including Willson Contreras and prospects Kristian Campbell and Jack Winnay, which leaves the Red Sox looking at a spot that once seemed like it might be settled and instead feels very much up for grabs. [Read more 🡒]