Boston Red Sox
“Any time you can add a middle-of-the-order bat into what you’re already doing, that’s exciting for our team.”
Adley Rutschman is expected to make his debut with the Red Sox on Tuesday. Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe
The Red Sox are set to receive some major reinforcements on Tuesday.
After taking part in workouts in Toronto on Monday — including catching Patrick Sandoval’s bullpen session and batting from both sides of the plate — Adley Rutschman is in line to make his debut with his new club on Tuesday against the Blue Jays.
Rutschman, who was acquired from the Orioles as part of a blockbuster deal on Aug. 3, has been sidelined since July 18 due to wrist inflammation.
“Honestly, for me, it’s just excitement. I miss playing,” Rutschman told Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. “I want to be out there, and to be able to go out and play baseball is such a blessing. And I think you realize that when you’re on the IL and you’re not able to play it. For me, it’s just excitement. This team’s rolling. This locker room, the guys are really tight, as you can tell. So I’m just excited to be a part of it.”
Despite not immediately jumping into Boston’s lineup, Rutschman believes he’s in a good place when it comes to both working with a new pitching staff and shaking off the rust from an extended layoff.
The 28-year-old catcher played two rehab games with Triple-A Worcester over the weekend — driving in two with a double, walking twice, and throwing out an attempted basestealer in a win for the Woo Sox on Saturday. He went 0-for-3 on Sunday while serving as Worcester’s designated hitter.
“Just seeing live pitching for the most part, catching guys, making sure the wrist is feeling good and holding up with that workload,” Rutschman said. “Just making sure you’re good on all aspects.”
Speaking ahead of Boston’s series opener against Toronto on Monday, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy signaled that the club is not going to immediately slot Rutschman into an everyday role — at least not at the very start of his time with Boston.
“I wouldn’t expect to see him back out there like three days in a row right out of the chute,” Tracy said, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “He hasn’t been down long, so we don’t feel like his legs are completely out of shape. Maybe [three straight games] is asking too much.”
But, even as Boston eases Rutschman into a regular role, the former top pick in the 2019 MLB Draft should still stand as a sizable upgrade for the Red Sox roster — given both his pop at the plate and his standing as one of the top defensive backstops in the game.
“Any time you can add a middle-of-the-order bat into what you’re already doing, that’s exciting for our team,” Tracy told Cotillo. “I know he’s excited. Getting that in there, another really big at-bat, will be really helpful. It would be helpful on any team, but for us, it has been exciting.”
The Red Sox still have a tough decision to make if Rutschman is activated on Tuesday. It seems unlikely that Boston will carry three catchers on the roster.
Connor Wong is a solid backup, but catcher Jake Rogers is 3-for-9 with two doubles and two RBIs since arriving as part of that same trade with Baltimore.
Boston could either option Wong to Triple-A Worcester or designate Rogers for assignment in order to make room for Rutschman.
“When you’re dealing with Adley Rutschman and what he brings, pretty much everyone on the team is looking like, ‘That’s an add for us and for our team,’” Tracy told Cotillo.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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