BOSTON, MA—The Boston Red Sox today signed infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa to a one-year contract for the 2026 season. He will wear number two. To make room on the 40-man roster, Boston placed right-handed pitcher Tanner Houck on the 60-Day Injured List.
Kiner-Falefa, 30, has batted .262 (815-for-3,109) with 371 runs scored, 130 doubles, 286 RBI, and 100 stolen bases in 920 career Major League games with the Texas Rangers (2018-21), New York Yankees (2022-23), Toronto Blue Jays (2024-25), and Pittsburgh Pirates (2024-25). Winner of the 2020 American League Gold Glove Award at third base, he has made 434 starts at shortstop, 206 at third base, 66 as the catcher, 62 at second base, 29 in center field, 28 in left field, four in right field, and two as the designated hitter.
In 2025, the right-handed hitter batted .262 (113-for-431) with 21 doubles in 138 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates (119 games) and Toronto Blue Jays (19 games), while making 93 starts at shortstop, 30 at third base, and one at second base. He played in 15 Postseason games for Toronto, including five games in the 2025 American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners during which he batted .333 (5-for-15) with three runs scored, two doubles, and one RBI.
A Hawaii native, Kiner-Falefa was selected by the Texas Rangers in the fourth round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft. He has thrice been named his team’s recipient of the Heart and Hustle Award, doing so with the Rangers (2018, 2021) and Yankees (2023).
Houck, 29, made nine starts for Boston in 2025 before being placed on the Injured List on May 13. The right-hander underwent a successful hybrid reconstruction of the right ulnar collateral ligament (elbow) with flexor tendon repair on August 18. Originally selected by Boston in the first round (No. 24 overall) of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, the Missouri native owns a 3.97 ERA (209 ER/474.1 IP) in 113 career Major League games (80 starts), all with the Red Sox (2020-25).