The Red Sox are making a bold call for Game 162, turning to Tanner Houck for a start in a season finale that carries no postseason consequence for Boston or the Chicago Cubs. The game was moved to Tropicana Field because of a dangerous nor’easter hitting Massachusetts and other states, and both teams have already locked up playoff spots.
Houck’s assignment is the eye-opener. According to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, he’ll get the ball after spending the entire season on the injured list while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
There’s no word yet on how long Boston plans to keep him out there. The club could stretch him for multiple innings to save arms, or it could use him for just one or two frames before turning the rest into a bullpen day.
Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reported that Houck has been built up for about three innings of work, though a longer outing could knock him out of consideration for the Red Sox’s Wild Card roster because he’s just coming off a long-term injury.
The decision comes after a rough and unusual path back for Houck. He hasn’t appeared in the majors since May 12, 2025.
After breaking out with a career-best 3.12 ERA as Boston’s ace in 2024, he fell apart in 2025, putting up an 8.04 ERA and 1.69 WHIP across 43.2 innings. Boston sent him to Triple-A to try to straighten things out, but he never got back to that 2024 form.
Later in the season, the Red Sox uncovered the injury, and Houck went under the knife.
Boston also took another hit on the pitching side, with Tyron Guerrero going back on the injured list with a shoulder strain. Healey reported that the injury will keep him out for at least the first two rounds of the postseason. Guerrero had just come off the IL from September 1-20 with right shoulder inflammation, so this is a painful setback for a bullpen that had been counting on him.
That loss matters because Guerrero had become a major late-inning weapon for Boston. The right-hander logged a 3.10 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 41 strikeouts and eight walks in 40.2 innings this season, giving the Red Sox a dangerous setup option.
His absence leaves more on the shoulders of a relief group that has been excellent as a unit, posting a league-best 2.99 ERA. Boston is also hoping Garrett Crochet can return as a reliever in the coming days, while lefty setup man Erik Miller will need to steady himself after some recent mechanical issues.
In Other News...
Red Sox Have 3 Under The Radar October Roster Decisions
As the Red Sox sort through the last layer of their postseason puzzle, a few names that have not always sat at the center of the conversation are suddenly carrying real weight. Romy Gonzalez, Alec Gamboa and Jahmai Jones all bring different kinds of utility to a roster that has to account for injuries, matchup issues and the squeeze of October roster construction, and each has a path to becoming more than just a depth option if Boston needs the right specialist at the right time.
Gonzalez can help against left-handed pitching and give the club some cover at first base, while Gamboa has shown the kind of groundball-heavy relief work that can fit in a short series. Jones has also looked strong versus lefties since joining the Red Sox, which makes him another potentially useful piece if Boston wants to lean into matchups. The catch, of course, is that postseason benches are rarely roomy enough for everyone, and the Red Sox still have to decide which of these under-the-radar fits best into the October plan. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have Another Injury Concern Before Yankees Series
The Red Sox finally get a day off before opening their wild-card series against the Yankees, but the pause has come with more injury uncertainty attached to it. Garrett Crochet, Tyron Guerrero and Johan Oviedo are among the players dealing with issues, and the timing matters with the postseason about to begin and every available arm and bat carrying extra weight.
Mickey Gasper is also in the mix, though his status appears especially shaky heading into the series. He has been one of the more interesting small-payroll stories on the roster, with a 2026 season that compares favorably in some ways to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., including a higher home run total and more wins above replacement despite earning the minimum salary. For a Red Sox club trying to line up the right pieces for New York, the concern is not just who is hurt, but who is actually able to help. [Read more 🡒]
Tanner Houcks Red Sox Playoff Spot Suddenly Looks Far Less Safe
The Red Soxs pitching picture tightened over the weekend, and not necessarily in the way they wanted. With Boston needing to trim its staff to 12 pitchers by Tuesday, the club shuffled arms around again, placing Tyron Guerrero on the injured list, recalling Wyatt Olds and activating Tanner Houck from the 60-day injured list. Houcks return was a notable development on its own, but his first game back did little to settle anything as the Red Sox continue sorting out who belongs in October.
The bigger question now is whether Houck has run out of time to make his case. Boston is expected to carry a postseason pitching group built around 12 other arms, and recent performance plus health concerns have put Houck on the outside of that projection for the moment. For a club trying to line up its best possible staff for a short October run, every outing and every roster decision carries extra weight, and Houcks path back into the picture suddenly looks much less secure. [Read more 🡒]