The Red Sox have spent most of July and August turning a messy start into a 98.3 percent shot at the playoffs, but the one thing that carried them there is now wobbling a bit. Boston’s rotation has been the backbone of the season, and late in August and into September, it’s starting to look taxed.
Sonny Gray had his September 1 start pushed back. Ranger Suarez is carrying a 5.01 ERA over his last seven outings.
And the rookies, Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett, have already piled up 131 and 99.2 innings, respectively. If those trends keep rolling, sorting out a playoff rotation could get tricky fast.
Jonathan Papelbon, though, already has his answer. On the September 3 episode of the “Foul Territory” podcast, the former Red Sox closer said Bennett, Gray and Tolle - not necessarily in that order - would be his preferred three-man group.
“If the playoffs are tomorrow and I'm the manager, Ranger Suarez is not pitching for me. I hate to say it, but he's not pitching for me," Papelbon said.
The problem with that take is that Suarez has built a postseason reputation that’s hard to ignore. Over seven playoff series spanning four years, he’s put up a 1.48 ERA and a 1.055 WHIP across 42.2 innings.
Papelbon’s logic comes from the recent slump, and that part is real. Suarez has hit the same late-season wall before, which Phillies fans know well.
In the last three Septembers, he’s posted a 5.20 ERA in 2023, a 6.04 ERA in 2024 and a 4.10 ERA in 2025, each over five starts. But when the calendar flips to October, he’s tended to reset.
That’s why writing him off entirely would be a mistake. The late-season dip is baked into the pattern, but so is the rebound when the stakes rise. Boston has leaned on pitching all year, and if that formula holds in the postseason, Suarez could still wind up being one of its most valuable arms.
The Red Sox are staring at a tough Wild Card matchup, most likely against the New York Yankees or Tampa Bay Rays, and they’ll need every quality start they can get. With that kind of road ahead, Suarez’s playoff track record makes him hard to leave out of the conversation for a starting job.
In Other News...
Red Sox Prospect Is Easing One Big Adley Rutschman Trade Fear
Hayden Mullins has been one of the quieter bright spots in the aftermath of Bostons Aug. 3 deal for Adley Rutschman, and the pitching prospect is doing his part to ease some of the early anxiety that followed the move. Mullins has continued piling up solid outings, trimming his season ERA and giving the Red Sox a better-looking strikeout-to-walk ratio as he settles into the stretch run.
The encouraging part for Boston is that Mullins has not just been serviceable, he has been consistently effective, which matters when a trade of that size invites instant second-guessing. The other side of the equation has been encouraging too, since the players Boston received in the swap have also turned in strong work in Baltimores system, leaving the deal in a place where both clubs can point to early returns and still wonder how it will age. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Bullpen Just Took A Late-Season Turn Fans Feared
Justin Slaten had only just started to throw again in his recovery before the right elbow inflammation symptoms flared up and shut him back down. For a Red Sox bullpen that has managed to keep its performance in a strong place, the setback is a reminder that late-season stability can change quickly, especially when one of the relievers the club hoped to count on is not able to build any momentum.
The encouraging part for Boston is that Tanner Houck and Garrett Crochet are both moving ahead in rehab assignments, giving the staff at least a chance to get reinforcements later on. Slatens return, though, is now far less certain than it was even a short time ago, and for a bullpen that has been one of the teams quiet strengths, his situation is becoming one of the more important health stories to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Garrett Crochets Return Could Change Bostons Playoff Push
Garrett Crochet is finally moving back toward a mound return, and the Red Sox have a clearer picture now than they have had since his lat injury sidelined him in April. He has started bullpen sessions and is working toward a simulated game near the end of the season, with the club eyeing a possible return from the injured list for the final weekend or a spot in the late-October mix.
For Boston, the timing matters because any version of Crochet could give a bullpen that already ranks among the best in the American League another high-end arm at the exact moment the games carry the most weight. If he does come back in relief late in the regular season or during the wild-card series, it would add another layer to a relief corps that has already been a strength, and it would give the Red Sox one more reason to believe their playoff push can hold up under pressure. [Read more 🡒]