The Red Sox are down to the final cut on their postseason pitching staff, and Tanner Houck looks like the odd man out.
Boston has to trim its group to 12 pitchers by Tuesday in the Bronx, and Sunday did Houck no favors. The former All-Star made his first major league appearance in 15 months after coming off the 60-day injured list, but his return was rough.
Against the Cubs, he worked three innings, gave up four hits, including two home runs to Alex Bregman, and was charged with three earned runs. He struck out one, didn’t issue a walk, and needed 50 pitches to get through the outing.
That kind of line doesn’t leave much room for optimism, especially with the Red Sox heading into a three-game series against the Yankees. With Tyron Guerrero landing on the injured list and Wyatt Olds recalled to fill a bullpen spot, Boston suddenly has even less margin for error in the relief group. In that setting, it’s hard to see Houck cracking the top eight or nine arms the club can trust right now.
The bigger issue is simply fit. Houck has been out for a long stretch, he’s coming back from surgery, and his 2025 season was poor enough already to raise real doubts about what he can provide in October. Boston needs pitchers who can step into defined roles immediately, and Houck’s status makes him a tough roster fit.
Garrett Crochet adds another layer to the decision. He last pitched on April 25, but the Red Sox still view him as a true ace when healthy, and the expectation is that he could be available for a few outs out of the bullpen this week if needed.
If Boston leaves Houck off, the 12 pitchers projected for the roster are Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez, Jake Bennett, Brayan Bello, Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, Erik Miller, Jovani Morán, Greg Weissert, Alec Gamboa and Garrett Crochet. If Crochet isn’t healthy, Wyatt Olds would replace him.
In Other News...
Red Sox Just Got Extra Motivation Before Yankees Wild Card Series
The Red Sox are heading into Yankee Stadium for a three-game wild-card series with a familiar kind of October edge, and the path ahead is simple enough: win the series, move on to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series. Even before the first pitch, though, the matchup has taken on a little extra bite thanks to how New York appears to be lining up its rotation.
Reports say the Yankees plan to start Max Fried in Game 1 and Cam Schlittler in Game 2, a setup that points to a balancing act between the wild-card round and the ALDS that could follow. For Boston, it is the kind of detail that only sharpens the stakes, because any hint that the opponent is thinking beyond the immediate series can be taken as added fuel in a setting where every pitch tends to matter a little more. [Read more 🡒]
Former Red Sox Coach Just Created An Awkward Rays Subplot
Pete Fatses next stop has taken an awkward turn for Red Sox fans watching the division. A few months after Boston let go of its former hitting coach, the Rays brought him in as a hitting consultant, adding a familiar name to a rival staff at a moment when both clubs are trying to sharpen their offensive identities. Fatses connection to New England runs deep, and his time with the Red Sox began in 2019, so the move carries more than the usual layer of East Division familiarity.
Tampa Bay made no effort to hide its interest in what Fatse might bring. Rays executive Erik Neander publicly praised his passion and the potential he has to help the club, a notable show of confidence for someone who was just recently on the other side of one of baseballs sharper internal decisions. For Boston, it is the kind of subplot that lingers because it ties a former staffer directly to a rival and leaves open the inevitable question of what the Rays think they can unlock next. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Face One Big Roster Call Before Yankees Series
With one regular season game left before they open a wild-card series against the Yankees, the Red Sox are down to the kind of roster decisions that can shape a short October. Romy Gonzalez has put himself back in the conversation with strong recent work in Triple-A, and his profile is at least intriguing enough to merit a look as Boston starts sorting out the final pieces of its playoff group.
Gonzalez also brings a matchup angle that matters in a series this tight, since he has had success against likely Game 1 starter Max Fried. That is the sort of offensive upside Boston could use on a bench built for opportunistic swings, which is why his candidacy comes up now as the Red Sox weigh whether he deserves a spot over Andruw Monasterio. [Read more 🡒]