The Red Sox are heading into the final stretch before August 3 with a roster that still has too many holes to ignore, and the injury list is shaping the club’s trade deadline thinking just as much as the standings. Boston has been winning, but the question now is how long it can keep doing that with so many key names still sidelined.
Roman Anthony is the biggest immediate reminder of what the Red Sox are missing. The young outfielder is still working through recovery from a ring finger ligament tear in Fort Myers, and there’s no sign he’s close to helping the big-league club.
According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe (subscription required), Anthony still is not swinging a bat. Boston had previously framed his return as a pain-management issue, with the idea that he could start swinging once the discomfort in his hand became manageable.
But interim manager Chad Tracy has since made the timeline sound even more cautious, saying Anthony won’t swing until he is pain-free.
That leaves Boston in the same spot it has been in for a while: waiting, and probably waiting some more. A healthy Anthony would give the offense a different gear, but the Red Sox have also played their best baseball without him.
He still needs time to ramp up, then a rehab assignment, before he can realistically return. That kind of delay makes the idea of adding a rental power bat look more and more sensible for Craig Breslow.
Trevor Story could change that conversation if his return comes together quickly enough. The shortstop has been out since May 15 with a sports hernia, and he had corrective surgery after landing on the injured list.
On July 17, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reported that Story had stepped up his hitting and fielding work as he moved closer to a rehab assignment. Then the next day, Story said that a rehab assignment “feels close,” though he still doesn’t have a firm date for when it will begin.
Story’s season has been a strange one. He was dealing with discomfort in his groin area from spring training until surgery, and that may help explain the drop-off from last year.
In 2025, he hit .263/.308/.433 and led the team with 25 home runs. This season, he opened at .206/.244/.303.
If the injury was dragging him down that much, Boston could still get the version of Story that does the one thing the lineup needs most: hit for power.
Pitching depth is another issue the Red Sox can’t ignore, but Ranger Suarez’s situation at least points toward some relief. Boston had enough starters when its hot streak began, but Suarez and Connelly Early have since joined the injured list with different problems. Suarez appears closest to a return, and recent reporting from Speier suggests he could be back as soon as Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles.
Suarez threw a bullpen session on July 19 and came out of it feeling good. The Red Sox are scheduled to check in with him on Monday to see whether he’s ready to take the ball against Baltimore after dealing with a groin strain since July 5.
With Suarez, Early, Garrett Crochet, Johan Oviedo and Kutter Crawford all on the IL, Boston’s rotation depth is thin enough to be a real concern. Getting Suarez back would help stabilize that group and could spare the Red Sox from having to shop for pitching help at the deadline.
In Other News...
Red Sox Suddenly Face A Risky Deadline Reunion Debate
The Red Sox have spent much of this season looking like a club that can pitch with anyone, which is why they remain in the playoff race and why any deadline conversation now comes with a little more ambition attached. Even so, the next few weeks could force Boston to think beyond simple bullpen depth or a modest bench upgrade, especially if San Diego decides to explore ways to reshape its roster and move a veteran name with real familiarity in Boston.
Any reunion talk would come with plenty of baggage, starting with the long-term money still attached and the question of whether the player would even be willing to sign off on a move. From the Red Sox perspective, the appeal is obvious: a chance to add a proven bat to a team trying to hold its place in the race. But the real intrigue is whether Boston would be willing to get pulled into a bigger deal if the Padres also made a premium late-inning arm part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Lose A Key Piece As Red Sox Series Suddenly Shifts
The Orioles lineup took a hit at an awkward time, with their series against the Red Sox arriving while Baltimore is already trying to keep pace in the division race. Adley Rutschman has been one of the most important pieces of that effort, so any absence behind the plate changes the feel of a matchup that already had plenty riding on it.
Baltimore filled the roster spot by bringing up Chadwick Tromp from Triple-A Norfolk, a move that at least gives the Orioles another catching option as they navigate the next stretch. For Boston, the timing matters too, because a series that looked like a test against one of the American Leagues steadier clubs suddenly looks a little different with a key Orioles regular unavailable. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Trade Idea Sparks Familiar Catcher Debate
The catcher market always gets complicated when a team is trying to balance present need against future value, and that is why Jim Bowdens latest trade idea is the kind of proposal that catches the eye. The concept centers on a 26-year-old backstop who has already shown real middle-of-the-order production, with 30 homers, a .886 OPS, 2.6 bWAR and two All-Star selections giving him a profile that is easy to understand for a contender and just as easy to covet for a club looking to reshape its roster.
For Boston, the appeal is obvious enough: a catcher who can help now and perhaps change the shape of the lineup. For Colorado, the question is whether a possible sell-off at the deadline could turn one premium bat into a wider return of pitching and position-player talent, including a mix of big league and upper-minors pieces. It is the familiar kind of debate that follows any aggressive deadline idea, where the fit makes sense on paper but the real challenge is deciding how much certainty a team is willing to give up for one player. [Read more 🡒]