Thursday marks a notable checkpoint in Adley Rutschman’s career, but there’s a catch: the three-time All-Star may not even be able to suit up.
One month after the Orioles sent the former No. 1 overall pick to the Red Sox in a five-player deal, Rutschman is headed back to Camden Yards. Baltimore is trying to claw back into the playoff picture without the player who once stood as the face of the franchise, while Boston is left sorting through a trade that already looks messy.
Rutschman has been out since Monday with a hyperextended elbow, a separate issue from the wrist injury that landed him on the injured list to open his Red Sox run. That injury history, paired with his limited availability and uneven production, has given Boston plenty to worry about.
The Red Sox paid a steep price to get him. They sent three of their consensus top five prospects to Baltimore, including Anthony Eyanson, who has climbed into the top 25 in some national rankings. Boston also gave up former first-round pick Kyson Witherspoon, outfielders Enddy Azocar and Harold Rivas, and last year’s starting major league catcher, Carlos Narváez.
Eyanson has been the most encouraging piece for Boston to watch from afar. The 21-year-old has given up just five earned runs while striking out 32 hitters over 21 Double-A innings since the trade. For the season, he owns a 1.51 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 89 1/3 professional innings.
Witherspoon was rolling too before his own setback. He allowed only two earned runs in 14 1/3 High-A innings before going on the injured list with a shoulder impingement. Azocar has also been productive, hitting .353 with a .986 OPS in 21 games for High-A Frederick.
Still, the real issue for Boston is whether Rutschman can stay on the field and perform like Adley Rutschman. So far, that hasn’t happened. He has appeared in just 15 games in his first month with the Red Sox, and he’s produced a .500 OPS along with negative-0.2 bWAR.
In Other News...
Red Sox Pitching Reinforcements Are Near But One Return Just Got Murkier
Help is lining up for Bostons bullpen as September approaches, with Garrett Crochet and Tanner Houck both moving toward returns after injury rehabs. Crochet could start bullpen sessions soon and is slated to come back in a relief role, while Houck has already thrown a simulated game and is expected to fill long relief once he is ready.
Justin Slatens path has become less straightforward. His rehab was recently adjusted because of lingering elbow soreness, which pushes back his timetable and leaves the Red Sox with one more uncertainty in a relief mix that already figures to be in flux as the calendar turns. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Deadline Verdict Centers On One Newcomer Delivering Fast
The Red Sox spent the deadline making two of their biggest bets in very different ways, and the early returns have already started to shape how the move is being judged. Adley Rutschman arrived from Baltimore in a four-prospect deal that also sent Carlos Narvaez the other way, giving Boston the kind of established catcher it rarely gets without paying a heavy price. Since the trade, though, Rutschman has not provided much at the plate, leaving the move in the early stages of a wait-and-see phase.
Erik Miller has given the front office a much cleaner first impression. The left-hander came over in a separate deal for Marcelo Mayer and has been excellent out of the bullpen, pairing a low ERA with a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio. With team control running through 2029 and a track record that now stretches back to his 2024 debut, Miller already looks like the kind of arm Boston can build around while the bigger questions around the deadline haul keep unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Need Ceddanne Rafaela Healthy More Than Ever
Ceddanne Rafaelas night ended early against the Mariners when quad tightness forced the Red Sox to pull him from the game as a precaution, with Boston already playing from behind at the time. Interim manager Chad Tracy said the issue is not expected to lead to a long absence, and the club is treating Rafaela as day to day for now.
Even so, the timing matters for a Red Sox team already leaning on its depth and staring at a difficult stretch on the schedule. Rafaela has become part of the everyday fabric of the roster, and with other injured players already thinning the options, Boston has little margin for another absence, even a short one. [Read more 🡒]