A hyperextended right elbow kept Adley Rutschman out of Boston's lineup for three days earlier this week, but the All-Star catcher was slotted in as the No. 3 hitter on Thursday night for the opener of a four-game set against the Orioles, the team that drafted and developed him, then traded him to the Red Sox a month ago.
What does the switch-hitting Rutschman expect as he returns to the city where he made a name for himself, playing for the organization that made him the first overall pick in the 2019 Draft?
“We’ll see. It’s going to be interesting,” said Rutschman. “Talking to guys who have done it in the past, I’m sure there will be a lot of emotions.”
Rutschman dealt with the injury for over a week, missing two games in Miami before playing three out of four in New York and missing all three against the Mariners, but the Red Sox opted against putting him on the 10-day injured list, which could have been backdated by three days.
Rutschman’s recent MRI showed swelling and bone bruising but no ligament damage.
“It's just that this thing got banged, and you get the bruising in the back [of the elbow], and you're just dealing with it. So there's this element of that thing, that's going to be uncomfortable,” interim manager Chad Tracy said.
Rutschman first injured his elbow on a swing during the first game of the team's series against the Marlins on Aug. 24 at loanDepot park. The soreness caused him to miss the final two games of the series. The Red Sox had an off-day the following day.
Boston’s key acquisition at the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline, Rutschman returned to play three of the four games in the Yankees series over the weekend and collected three hits in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday.
The elbow might not be helping in Rutschman’s quest to get into a groove offensively. Since coming over from the Orioles, the three-time All-Star has struggled at the plate, hitting just .170 with a .500 OPS in 15 games.
However, even when Rutschman isn’t hitting, he has enormous value defensively, considering his rapport and leadership with the pitching staff and his blocking and throwing skills.