The Red Sox are deep enough to dream big, but their next move might be about something much more practical: protecting the arms that have carried them this far.
Boston has enough talent to stay in the hunt, and the roster has started to look better as key pieces return. Roman Anthony and Trevor Story are back and have looked great since rejoining the lineup.
Willson Contreras is on the Injured List, though he has said he’s going to be alright. Garrett Crochet is working his way back and was expected to throw a bullpen on Friday.
On Thursday, Adley Rutschman returned and launched two homers. The club is getting healthier, and that matters more now than chasing a dramatic leap in the standings.
After losing the series against the New York Yankees, Boston’s path up the Wild Card ladder got a lot steeper. Barring a major winning streak or a major skid, the Red Sox are significantly more likely than not to finish with the No.
2 Wild Card spot. That puts the focus on the final stretch of the regular season: stay healthy, stay sharp, and make sure the pitching staff doesn’t get stretched too thin.
That’s where the rotation comes in. The Red Sox have already given Sonny Gray extra time in an effort to keep him fresh, and the same approach has been used with Jake Bennett.
Payton Tolle has already thrown a career-high number of innings. Patrick Sandoval has logged 49 innings, his highest total since 2024.
Ranger Suárez, meanwhile, hasn’t looked like himself lately. The group has talent, but the workload is real.
One possible fix is adding a veteran arm who can soak up innings without costing much. The name that fits best, at least according to this pitch, is Lance McCullers Jr.
McCullers is a former All-Star and two-time World Series champion, and he’s had a rough year statistically. He owns a 6.55 ERA in 10 total outings between the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers.
He opened the season with Houston and was still shaking off rust after missing the entire 2023 and 2024 seasons. Last year, he pitched in only 16 games before getting hurt and being traded to Milwaukee.
With the Brewers, he worked out of the bullpen twice and posted a 3.86 ERA in 4 2/3 innings.
The broader case for McCullers is rooted in what he was before all the injuries piled up. He has a 3.85 ERA in 156 major league appearances, and his best season came in 2021, when he put up a 3.16 ERA in 28 starts for Houston. There’s risk here because of his recent struggles and the timing of the season, but the appeal is obvious: Boston needs depth, and it needs innings.
McCullers could provide both. He’s being framed as one of the better available arms, and the idea is simple - make a move now, lighten the load, and see if a low-cost addition can help keep the rotation intact down the stretch.
In Other News...
Brewers Bullpen Turnover Takes Another Interesting Late-Season Turn
The Brewers bullpen shuffle picked up another wrinkle this week when right-hander Joel Kuhnel was claimed off waivers by the Giants. Kuhnel had worked for both the Athletics and Milwaukee this season, logging 35 appearances overall and giving the Brewers a veteran arm who could be deployed in a variety of relief spots as the season wore on.
San Francisco is bringing him in with a clear immediate role in low-leverage situations, but the move also gives Kuhnel a chance to stick beyond the final stretch if he handles it well. For Milwaukee, it is another reminder of how quickly late-season relief depth can turn over, especially when clubs are constantly trying to find usable innings without losing flexibility elsewhere on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Fans Have Real Reason To Worry About Jacob Misiorowski
Jacob Misiorowskis last few outings have given Brewers fans something to monitor closely, and not just because hitters have started to make more contact. The hard-throwing right-hander has seen his fastball velocity dip while leaning more on his secondary pitches, a notable shift for a pitcher whose power arm has long been the calling card. Even after the rough outing at Wrigley Field, where he was hit hard, Misiorowski pointed to the weather and the difficulty of getting a good grip and footing on the mound as part of the problem.
The broader concern is that this might be less about one bad day and more about the grind of his first full major league season beginning to show. Pitchers often need time to adjust to the workload, and for a young arm like Misiorowskis, that adjustment can come with some visible wear. Milwaukee does not need to panic, but it does need to keep an eye on whether the velocity trend and heavier reliance on off-speed stuff are signs of fatigue or just a temporary dip in form. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Just Took A Quiet Bullpen Hit After The Cubs Series
The Brewers bullpen depth took a small hit after their series with the Cubs, with right-hander Joel Kuhnel being claimed off waivers by the Giants. Kuhnel had been working his way back through a minor league rehab assignment before Milwaukee designated him for assignment, and the move opens another spot in a relief group that has already had to stay flexible as the season wears on.
San Francisco is bringing Kuhnel in for the rest of the year as an extra arm, and the Brewers now have to sort through the ripple effect of losing a pitcher who was at least in the mix. He had a 4.84 ERA with 22 strikeouts this season, but for Milwaukee the bigger issue is less the numbers than the fact that another depth option is gone at a time when every bullpen inning matters. [Read more 🡒]