The Red Sox expected to have Ranger Suarez back on the mound Tuesday night against the Baltimore Orioles, but that plan has changed.
According to Tim Healey of the Boston Globe, Suarez will not make the start. Healey wrote on X, "Ranger Suarez will NOT start against the Orioles tonight," and added, "The Red Sox announced Eduardo Rivera will do so."
That means the rookie Rivera gets the ball instead. He has posted a 2.89 ERA and a 0.964 WHIP across 9.1 innings in three appearances this season.
Boston had been hoping to bring Suarez back after he had been sidelined since Jul. 5 with a groin injury. The timing would have fit a team that is rolling, but the Red Sox can clearly afford to be patient. They’ve won 14 straight, and they’ve kept the run going without him.
Suarez has still been a major piece of the season. In his first year with Boston, the Venezuelan native is 4-3 with a 3.15 ERA and a 1.161 WHIP in 91.1 innings. He also became a two-time All-Star.
Even with that production, the Red Sox have not needed to rush him. Sonny Gray, Payton Tolle, and Jake Bennett have helped hold things together on the mound, and Boston’s rotation has also had to deal with injuries to Garrett Crochet and Connelly Early.
For now, the safer route makes sense. The Red Sox are still winning without Suarez, so there’s no reason to force him back before he’s fully ready.
And when he does return, he should give Boston another lift. Suarez has arguably been their best pitcher all season, and with the club suddenly in the middle of a real playoff push, that matters.
With a little over two months left in the season, Boston is 51-48, sits third in the AL East, and holds a 1.5-game lead over the Texas Rangers for the third AL Wild Card spot. The Red Sox are in position to keep climbing, and Suarez’s return should only make them stronger.
In Other News...
Red Sox Pitching Plans Take Another Brutal Turn Midstreak
Bostons pitching depth took another hit Monday as the club adjusted its plans for the July 21 game against Baltimore, turning to Eduardo Rivera for the start while continuing to wait on Ranger Suarez. Suarez is still on the injured list with a groin issue, another reminder of how thin the rotation picture has become as the Red Sox try to piece together innings on the fly.
The roster churn did not stop there. Reliever Zack Kelly was moved to the 60-day injured list because of elbow inflammation, a move that opened a 40-man roster spot but also deepened the sense that Boston is simply trying to stay afloat amid a string of pitching absences. Rivera has made three appearances for the Red Sox, and for now he is part of a staff that keeps having to absorb one more setback after another. [Read more 🡒]
Garrett Crochet Just Raised A Chilling Red Sox Rotation Concern
Garrett Crochets shoulder issue has become a far more complicated Red Sox concern than anyone could have expected when he first landed on the injured list in late April. What was supposed to be a short-term absence has dragged on, and the left-hander said the injury has not improved the way he initially hoped, leaving him without a clear timeline for getting back on a mound.
Crochet has since backed off his rehab work after his progress plateaued, including a step back from throwing plyo balls as the training staff takes a cautious approach. He said the injury is complex and he is simply following the plan in front of him while trying to stay connected to the club from the sidelines, even as Boston keeps rolling without him. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Linked To The Blockbuster Move Fans Wanted
With the Red Sox three games above .500 and riding a 14-game winning streak, the conversation around Boston has shifted from simply staying in the Wild Card race to wondering whether Craig Breslow might be willing to chase something bigger. That has opened the door to some aggressive speculation, including the idea that the club could be in the mix for a major upgrade if the right opportunity presents itself.
Around the league, Boston has been mentioned as a possible fit in trade chatter involving a star Mets infielder, a kind of move that would instantly change the complexion of the roster if it ever got serious. The obstacle is obvious, though, because any deal of that magnitude would have to clear a long list of hurdles, and for now it remains just that kind of rumor - the sort that says as much about Bostons ambition as it does about the odds of a deal actually getting done. [Read more 🡒]