Since June 24, The Boston Red Sox have completely turned around their season. After losing two out of three games to the Colorado Rockies, one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball, and sitting at the bottom of the American League standings, the season seemed over. The Red Sox, who fired their manager, Alex Cora, in April after a horrendous start, and who had not seen much more success in the months of May or June under new skipper Chad Tracy, then proceeded to go on one of the most unprecedented and incredible hot streaks in baseball history.
It started with a spectacular and dramatic four-game sweep of the New York Yankees, which began with an unexpected victory over the Yankees’ ace pitcher Cam Schlittler, despite a nightmare flight for the Red Sox back from Colorado, and ended with a walk-off win in extra innings. Then, after losing two out of three to the Washington Nationals, the team won the next 15 games in a row, tying the all-time Red Sox win streak record set in 1946, including sweeps of the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox, New York Mets (preceded by another nightmare flight), and the Tampa Bay Rays. Although the win streak ended with a defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles, just one win away from setting an all-time record, the Sox continued to play excellent baseball, winning 32 of 37 games across their peak from June 25 to Aug. 7.
Across this stretch, the Red Sox were driven by excellent pitching, starting and relief, offense, and defense. However, as the season has worn on, players have become physically exhausted and injuries, major and minor, have emerged. Of course, Boston lost stars early in the season to injury, including the young and dynamic Roman Anthony; Garrett Crochet, Boston’s ace starting pitcher last year; and Trevor Story, the veteran shortstop. However, recent moves involving players going on and off of the injured list seem not to have been forced by play-preventing conditions, like Roman Anthony’s torn finger ligament or Garrett Crochet’s left shoulder inflammation, but instead by a mix of precaution and desire to rest key players before the playoffs.
There are many examples of this phenomenon. Garrett Whitlock, who has served as the relief pitcher the team would send in to lock down the eighth inning of a close game (often called a set-up man), before passing the torch to Aroldis Chapman, the veteran closer, to pitch in the ninth, was placed on the injured list for right wrist inflammation in mid-August. After spending just over the minimum 10-day stint on the injured list (IL), he was reinstated, and continues to be one of the best relief pitchers in baseball this year. Willson Contreras, the team’s unquestionable MVP, batting .277 with a .904 OPS (On-Base Percentage + Slugging Percentage) with 26 home runs, was placed on the IL at the end of August with a left hamstring strain that he had seemingly been battling for a long time. He, after spending the minimum amount of time on the IL as well, plus a short rehab stint with the Red Sox’ Double-A minor league affiliate, the Portland Sea Dogs, was also reinstated, and contributed immediately after his reinstatement. He went two for three against the Kansas City Royals in the series finale as part of a Red Sox win. Ceddanne Rafaela, the Red Sox’ Gold Glove center fielder currently on the injured list for a right quad strain, is expected to take a bit more than the minimum stay; he should be back relatively soon to contribute to the lineup and defense. Instead of aggravating their injuries, some of which they could likely play through, the Red Sox have decided to give them well-deserved breaks, setting them up to be healthy in the playoffs.
Beyond the players that have gone for short stints on the injured list for injuries they likely could have played through, but with decreased production, and potentially worsening their conditions, the Red Sox have given several days off to newly acquired All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman, who has dealt with pain from hyperextending his elbow during an aggressive swing, in an effort to ensure his viability for a run in October. The Sox have also given days off to other key players, like Jarren Duran, Trevor Story, Wilyer Abreu, Mickey Gasper, and Caleb Durbin.
The Red Sox are currently positioned to capture the number two Wild Card spot in the American League for the playoffs. After the team’s atrocious start, this is incredible, but during the incredible Red Sox run, there was hope that Boston could take the number one Wild Card spot from the Yankees, or even the AL East divisional title from the Tampa Bay Rays. However, as the team has cooled off from the nearly unbelievable run, these spots have become less achievable, especially after losing three out of four games to the Yankees in an August series. With the Red Sox trailing the Yankees by five games (really six, since the Yankees hold the tiebreaker), and the Rays by nine, and with only, at time of writing, 11 games remaining for the Red Sox, it seems that the team has essentially accepted that it will be playing to retain the second Wild Card spot, setting up a repeat of last year’s best-of-three series against the Yankees in the Bronx to determine who will move on in the postseason.
While this may disappoint some fans, it is a very responsible strategy. Instead of overworking players and causing and aggravating injuries for the mere chance of overtaking teams in the standings, the Sox are playing it safe, knowing that as long as they can play solid baseball to the end of the season, with contributions from both stars and role players like Nick Sogard, Mickey Gasper, and others who have shined after call-ups from the minor leagues, good defense, and good pitching (areas where the team has generally excelled this year), they are in position to easily make the playoffs, where anything can happen.
Heading into the wild card series against the Yankees, the Red Sox will hopefully be able to count on health and productivity from the players they have given time off. This, plus the recent returns of Trevor Story, Roman Anthony, and utility infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and the anticipated returns (in a relief pitching role) of Garrett Crochet and Tanner Houck should give Boston a stacked lineup and bullpen. With Sonny Gray, Boston’s ace this year, sporting a 2.76 ERA, Ranger Suarez, an All-Star with an excellent playoff pedigree and a 3.33 ERA this year, and Payton Tolle (if necessary), the exuberant rookie, with a 3.05 ERA on the season, anticipated to be the starting pitchers in a best-of-three Wild Card series against the Yankees, Red Sox fans have every reason to be optimistic about the team’s odds to defeat the Yankees and potentially make a deep run in October. Chad Tracy, the Red Sox’ interim manager, Craig Breslow, the team’s chief baseball officer, and the coaching staff should all be credited with their responsible and intelligent strategy in managing the end of the season as we head towards the playoffs.
(All stats are at time of writing, September 15, 2026)
