The Red Sox have already started adding at the deadline, but the latest injury update suggests Boston may need to plan as if two important names won’t be coming back anytime soon.
Christopher Smith of MassLive reported on July 28 that Marcelo Mayer and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have started hitting progressions, while there was no change in the recoveries of Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet. For Anthony and Crochet, that silence speaks loudly.
Crochet has been on the injured list since April 26, and Anthony since May 5. Crochet originally went down with shoulder inflammation, then pushed to return so fast that he ended up with a lat strain, which is what has kept him sidelined. Anthony is dealing with a partially-torn ligament in his hand.
Right now, both players are still stuck just before the point where a return can really begin. Crochet has started exercises to strengthen his rotator cuff, but he is not scheduled to start throwing yet. The Red Sox are waiting for Anthony to be symptom-free before he can begin swinging.
Boston had previously pegged their returns for sometime in September and August, respectively, but that timeline looks increasingly optimistic. Crochet still has to move from throwing to bullpen sessions to live batting practice, and Anthony has his own long ramp-up ahead, starting with dry swings, then tee work, then full-speed hitting, with likely more steps mixed in. After that, both would still need rehab assignments, and probably the full 20-day stretch since neither has played in three months.
The Red Sox have managed just fine without them. Anthony and Crochet were not part of the 15-game winning streak that pushed Boston into a Wild Card spot, and neither has been a central reason for the club’s success this season. Still, getting them back before the real playoff push would give the team more flexibility and could keep the front office from chasing depth help it might not otherwise need.
For now, though, Boston probably can’t count on either player returning this year, at least not before the final weeks of the season or October. That reality may end up shaping the rest of the Red Sox’s trade deadline plans.
In Other News...
Jarren Duran Made A Brutal Admission After Emotional Red Sox Outburst
Jarren Durans frustration spilled over in the sixth inning of Bostons win over the Athletics, when a failed sacrifice fly turned into a visible outburst toward teammate Willson Contreras and interim third base coach Chad Epperson. The moment stood out because it came in a tight game and because Contreras later delivered the game-winning home run, a turn that made the sequence feel even more charged in the moment.
Afterward, Duran did not try to hide how much the season has weighed on him. He acknowledged that his own performance has been a source of frustration, which helps explain why a routine baseball miscue seemed to hit a nerve. For the Red Sox, the episode was less about lingering tension with a teammate and more about a player whose emotions are clearly tied to how badly he wants to turn things around. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Could Make Their Best Bullpen Even Scarier At The Deadline
Bostons bullpen has already been one of the clubs real strengths, with Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock helping give the late innings a far different feel than they had at times in recent seasons. Even with that group in place, the deadline still offers a chance to turn a strength into something even harder to navigate, especially if the front office decides there is room for one more high-leverage arm.
The appeal is obvious: adding another reliever with recent effectiveness and a team-friendly contract would give the Red Sox more ways to mix and match when games tighten up in September and beyond. It would also deepen the options behind Chapman, reduce the burden on the current core, and make an already dangerous bullpen even less forgiving for opposing lineups. [Read more 🡒]
Jarren Duran May Have Just Lost What Was Left In Boston
Jarren Durans season has gone from frustrating to hard to ignore, and the Red Sox are now staring at a version of their outfield picture that looks very different from the one they expected a few months ago. After being an All-Star MVP two years ago, he has been Bostons worst hitter this season, and the combination of a rough offensive line and a series of reported run-ins has only added to the sense that the fit is breaking down.
Roman Anthony is coming back from injury, Masataka Yoshida gives Boston another left-handed outfield option, and the organization still has depth waiting at Triple-A, which leaves Duran with less room to justify an everyday role. With the deadline approaching, the Red Sox may have to decide quickly whether to keep trying to salvage whats left here or explore a move now, with the offseason still offering another chance to reset the situation. [Read more 🡒]