The Red Sox finally got a little momentum, but Sunday came with another gut punch.
Boston beat the Los Angeles Angels, yet the bigger story was Ranger Suárez leaving after just 2 2/3 innings because of what the club called “left adductor tightness.” After the game, interim manager Chad Tracy didn’t try to sugarcoat it. The Red Sox are waiting on more information, and for now, they’re “concerned.”
“Your always concerned,” Tracy said. “He has left adductor groin tightness, which is why he came out.
Any time you see that you're concerned, we'll have a better idea tomorrow. Those things always present one way and then you wake up and check him out tomorrow.
Came out with groin tightness.”
Suárez also addressed the injury, saying the issue hit him on one pitch and didn’t go away.
“With that pitch that I threw, I felt a big pinch around the groin area,” Suárez said through a translator. “Tried to throw another pitch, but I still felt it. So, I came out. ...
“For me, the most important thing is just to be as healthy as possible for the second half.”
Boston expects to know more on Monday, and that timing matters. The Red Sox are already dealing with starter Connelly Early, who was placed on the Injured List last week with what the club called “posterior elbow inflammation.”
At the time, Tracy called it “good news,” but Sunday brought a different update: Early is going for a second opinion with Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas.
That’s a lot of uncertainty for a rotation that can’t really afford it.
The Red Sox have less than a week before the All-Star break, with their final game before the pause coming July 12 and a return set for July 17. They have six games left before then, and the need for arms is only growing.
Patrick Sandoval already looked like the next man up with Early sidelined. If Suárez has to miss time too, Brayan Bello would be the next logical option to come back to the majors.
There is at least some good news in the standings. Boston has won three straight and sits four games out of an American League Wild Card spot at 40-48.
The club is starting to show signs of life, but these injuries are piling up fast. The Red Sox may have replacements ready, yet Suárez is the kind of arm they need if this season is going to turn for real.
In Other News...
New Angels GM Just Sent A Message Fans Have Heard Before
John Mozeliaks first public comments as the Angels new general manager sounded a lot like the kind of message fans in Anaheim have heard before: this is not a teardown job. Mozeliak said he does not view the roster as needing a complete rebuild, and he framed the club as one with real resources to work with, pointing to the market and ownership as reasons the Angels can still be a compelling place to build.
The more interesting part may be how that philosophy carries into the draft and the trade deadline. Mozeliak said he is not locked into any one path when it comes to drafting high school or college players, and instead wants the best player available, a stance that could signal a change in how the Angels approach talent acquisition. For a team that has spent years searching for the right formula, the words were familiar, but the next steps will tell whether this version comes with something different behind it. [Read more 🡒]
Angels May Finally Need To Make A Tough Call On Zach Neto
The Angels have spent much of 2026 chasing answers on defense, and the infield has become one of the clearest reasons why. Zach Neto remains central to the conversation because of his importance to the club and his age, but the numbers and the eye test have not lined up the way the Angels hoped after his rise as their everyday shortstop.
Netos defensive regression has put real pressure on the organization to consider uncomfortable alternatives, especially with the team ranking near the bottom in key defensive measures. His latest miscue only sharpened the scrutiny, and with the season moving deeper into the summer, the Angels may be nearing the point where they have to decide whether keeping him in place is worth the cost elsewhere on the diamond. [Read more 🡒]
Angels May Finally Be Weighing A Move Fans Dread
A quiet but telling Angels subplot surfaced this week when MLB insider Robert Murray pointed to a John Mozeliak quote that sounded a lot like a front office weighing whether it should deal from the rotation. For a club that has spent years trying to stabilize its pitching, the idea naturally lands with a thud, especially with Jose Soriano and Reid Detmers both established as important pieces on the staff.
What makes the chatter harder to dismiss is the timing and the contract control attached to both arms, which gives the Angels more flexibility than they usually have with pitchers of this caliber. If the organization is truly shifting its trade approach under Mozeliak, the next step could say a lot about whether the priority is keeping the rotation intact or using one of those starters to reshape the roster for the long run. [Read more 🡒]