The Red Sox are dealing with another blow to a bullpen that can’t afford many more. On Tuesday, Boston sent right-handed reliever Tyron Guerrero to the 15-day injured list because of right shoulder inflammation and brought up right-hander Wyatt Olds from Triple-A Worcester to take his place.
The club made the move before Tuesday night’s game against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park.
Guerrero has been a steady piece for Boston this season, and losing him strips Chad Tracy’s bullpen of one of its most dependable arms. The 35-year-old has put together a 3.26 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 36 strikeouts in 38 2/3 innings. He’s worked in 38 games and gone 1-2.
Boston did not say how serious the shoulder inflammation is, and the only timeline given was the mandatory 15-day stay on the injured list.
Olds, meanwhile, is getting another shot after making a strong first impression earlier this month. The 27-year-old debuted in the majors on Aug. 17 after Boston called him up from Worcester, and he didn’t waste the opportunity. Over six appearances, he did not allow an earned run, struck out eight, and picked up his first big league win.
Olds had just been optioned to Worcester on Saturday when Boston cleared room for Garrett Whitlock’s return from the injured list, so this turnaround came quickly. His Triple-A line has been uneven overall, with a 5.33 ERA across 50 2/3 innings, but the strikeouts have been there. He’s fanned 74 batters and also has five saves.
Selected by Boston in the seventh round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Olds now gets a chance to prove his first run with the Red Sox was more than a hot streak. His ability to miss bats could be especially useful in the middle innings as Tracy reshuffles the bullpen without Guerrero.
The injury to Guerrero is the latest roster hit for Boston. On Monday, the Red Sox placed All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras on the injured list with a left hamstring strain and recalled Mickey Gasper.
For now, Boston is hoping Guerrero’s shoulder issue stays minor. Until he’s back, Olds will be asked to help cover one of the bullpen’s most reliable spots.
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 Already Have A Painful New Question About Adley Rutschman
The Red Sox made a hefty bet when they brought Adley Rutschman over from Baltimore, sending three top prospects, including pitcher Anthony Eyanson, to the Orioles in the deal. Boston had to expect an adjustment period, but the early returns have been uneven: Rutschman has played only 15 games for the club and, before the injury, had not exactly found a groove at the plate.
Now the bigger issue is less about the price tag and more about what comes next. Rutschman is sidelined with a hyperextended elbow, leaving Boston to wait on both his availability and his production while the prospects it gave up have looked strong in the minors. For a team that moved real talent to get a proven name, that is the kind of comparison that can start feeling uncomfortable quickly. [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 🡒]