Boston Red Sox
From Ranger Suarez to Johan Oviedo, Boston may add several arms back into the mix between now and the end of the season.
Tanner Houck was originally expected to miss all of 2026 as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Barry Chin/Globe Staff
The Boston Red Sox and their 11-game win streak are the talk of the town, and even the talk of Major League Baseball, on the other end of the All-Star Break.
On the field, they’re the best team in baseball in July. Off the field, several injured players in the midst of rehabbing are hoping to join in on the fun in the short- and long-term to contribute to Boston’s playoff push down the stretch.
Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy offered a plethora of health updates on primarily pitchers before Game 1 of their doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday. Here’s what he had to say about guys from Ranger Suarez to Johan Oviedo.
Connelly Early and Ranger Suarez
Boston’s two most recent players to land on the injured list, starting pitchers Connelly Early and Ranger Suarez, could return the soonest, Tracy said (via MassLive’s Chris Cotillo). Tracy said the pair has made “significant progress” in their recoveries.
Suarez, who landed on the 15-day IL with a left groin strain on July 9, could optimistically start on Tuesday, July 21. He has been throwing intermittently since sustaining the injury on July 5.
“Ranger is doing much better,” Tracy told reporters (via Cotillo). “We’ll see how he is over these next couple days and decide if that’s going to be the day or if we need to give him a few more days before we pencil him back into the rotation.”
Suarez has exceeded expectations in his first season in Boston. The All-Star left-hander owns a 3.15 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across 17 starts (91.1 innings) this season. He’s averaging 9.56 strikeouts per nine innings compared to 2.56 walks per nine, and hitters are batting .230 against him.
As for Early, who’s been on the 15-day IL since July 1 due to left elbow inflammation, he is fortunately progressing well despite the ailment’s concerning nature. He resumed throwing for the first time since sustaining the injury on June 30.
Early appears to be on the right track to returning to the mound sooner than later, but Tracy didn’t attach an expected date as he did with Suarez.
Early, a fellow southpaw, has similarly been stellar for Boston in his first full season. The 24-year-old has a 3.44 ERA and 1.25 WHIP through 17 games (91.2 innings). He owns a 9.13 K/9 and 3.34 BB/9, and hitters are batting .235 off of him.
Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, and Johan Oviedo
Three players’ names you may not have heard for some time could finally return at some point this season. Starting pitchers Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, and Johan Oviedo all had good news regarding their rehabilitation.
Crawford, who hasn’t pitched for the Red Sox since September 2024 due to right patellar tendinopathy in 2025, right wrist surgery, and right elbow soreness in 2026, is throwing from up to 100 feet, per Tracy.
Houck’s recovery provided a significant update for the first time in a while. Tracy said Houck is throwing off of a mound twice a week as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in August last year. It’s a positive sign for Houck, who was originally expected to miss all of 2026.
Oviedo is inching closer to returning, as well. He is expected to throw a bullpen session for the first time since sustaining a right elbow strain after making his lone start on March 30. The righty allowed four runs (two home runs) on six hits through 3.2 innings against the Houston Astros.
Roman Anthony, Garrett Crochet, etc.
Tracy also said several injured players have no updates on their recoveries. Roman Anthony (right wrist sprain), Garrett Crochet (left shoulder inflammation), Isaiah Kiner-Falefa (left forearm inflammation), and Marcelo Mayer (forearm stress reaction) remain shut down and have no timetable for return.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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