This story was excerpted from Ian Browne’s Red Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
BOSTON – What could be a train of reinforcements for the Red Sox down the stretch will begin this week when prized catching acquisition Adley Rutschman gets activated within the next few days – perhaps as early as Tuesday.
While the Sox have exceeded all expectations recently, including a 27-5 stretch since July 3, a realist would acknowledge that the club’s best chance at a deep October would include the return of some key participants who would ideally make meaningful contributions just as others are starting to tire.
Here is a look at players who are either coming back or could be coming back.
Rutschman: While Rutschman’s critics will tell you that he has tailed off offensively in recent years, it should also be noted that Boston’s offensive production at catcher has been near the bottom of the league this season. Rutschman got off to a hot start in April, but three separate health issues stalled his momentum.
Either way, provided he stays healthy, Rutschman is going to be an upgrade for Boston, even if he isn’t at his early career best. The switch-hitter should thrive at Fenway, where he can pull the ball as a right-handed hitter, and go the opposite way from the left side, taking advantage of the Green Monster.
But Rutschman’s true value rests in what he can do behind the plate. In that area, he hasn’t dropped off. In fact, people around the Orioles think that he was playing the best defense of his career before inflammation in his left wrist sent him to the injured list on July 20.
And it’s not just Rutschman’s glove skills or arm that make him so valuable at his position. He is considered one of the best at leading a pitching staff, which might end up giving Red Sox fans some Jason Varitek vibes.
Roman Anthony: Yes, it seems like a long time ago that Anthony starred for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic and was expected to be the best all-around hitter for the Red Sox coming into the season. But Anthony struggled at the plate early in the season, and just when he was starting to find a groove, he suffered a partial tear of a tendon connected to his right ring finger on May 4.
Why has it taken him so long to come back? Mainly because the injury created discomfort for him at the end of his swing. Those problems have finally resolved and Anthony has been on a gradual swing progression in Fort Myers, Fla., the last couple of weeks.
The left-handed hitter with a sharp batting eye and tremendous raw power could be relatively close to a Minor League rehab assignment. If things go well from here, Anthony could give the Sox a jolt right around Labor Day, or maybe a little earlier. Anthony would also give the Sox a leadoff hitter in a spot that has been a revolving door for interim manager Chad Tracy.
Garrett Crochet: It has really been slow going for Boston’s Opening Day starter, who was shut down following his start on April 25 with left shoulder inflammation. In fact, Crochet has been out so long that Tracy hasn’t been at the helm for one of his starts. Crochet started throwing at moderate intensity and short distance (50 to 60 feet) this week. But he will need to extend that distance to 90 feet, then 120, and perhaps 150 before he can start doing mound work.
Given the calendar, Crochet’s best chance to impact the Red Sox this season might be as a reliever so he doesn’t need weeks to build up his pitch count. A reliever in college and in his early pro years, Crochet said last week he will fill whatever role his team needs him to.
Trevor Story: The veteran shortstop played in discomfort for months before finally being honest with himself in mid-May that he was hurting the team more than helping it, and he underwent surgery to repair a sports hernia. Story has been working hard to come back and feels he will start a rehab assignment this month.
Given that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow made his big Trade Deadline move for Rutschman instead of a shortstop, Story now sees an opening to contribute if he can get even close to the form he was at last season, when he hit 25 homers to go with 96 RBIs while stealing 31 bases in 32 attempts.
When Story had a batting line of .206/.244/.303 with just three homers and 19 RBIs before going on the injured list, many fans assumed he was on a sharp decline. It is Story’s hope to prove that he can still hit, and that the injury was masking that.
Andruw Monasterio has played well for the Sox for the last month as the primary shortstop, but he’s been a utility player for most of his career, so asking him to continue to play as well as he has might be asking a lot. Story could provide an insurance policy when he comes back.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa: The utility man was swinging a hot bat when a stress reaction in his left forearm shut him down in mid-June. Kiner-Falefa offers defensive versatility and a player who has been there and done that. He is on a hitting progression and hopes to do enough in the coming weeks to make it back.