Newly acquired Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman is slated to begin a Minor League rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Worcester as he recovers from wrist inflammation. Interim manager Chad Tracy also provided an encouraging recovery update on outfielder Roman Anthony, who has progressed to machine-based batting practice.
The Boston Red Sox are preparing to welcome back two critical offensive pieces as they navigate the stretch run of the season. Newly acquired catcher Adley Rutschman spent his fourth day with the club doing a full battery of baseball activities, putting him on track to begin game action.
Adley Rutschman Set for Saturday Rehab Debut With Triple-A Worcester
Rutschman, who joined Boston in a high-profile trade deadline deal from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for a five-player package, has been sidelined since July 18 due to left wrist inflammation. While interim manager Chad Tracy noted that a return for the opening game of the team’s upcoming road trip might arrive too quickly, the catcher’s activation is imminent.
Because Rutschman last saw major league action on July 18 before landing on the 10-day injured list, he likely will not require a prolonged rehab assignment. The WooSox remain at Polar Park for a homestand before a scheduled six-game series against Buffalo, giving Boston’s medical staff a controlled environment to evaluate his wrist response.
Roman Anthony Advances to Machine Hitting After Months of Hand Discomfort
While Rutschman nears his debut, outfielder Roman Anthony continues working his way back from a severe ligament injury in his right ring finger and hand.
After progressing through tee work and soft toss flips following his lengthy absence, Anthony has now advanced to hitting off a pitching machine. Tracy confirmed that the young outfielder recently introduced machine work into his daily progression.
“He hit yesterday and today, too. He actually introduced some machine (work) today, which is good. It’s kinda in that phase now where he’s gonna do some of that. He’ll do that for a bit and see how his hand responds. The next thing would be doing some Trajekt, but we just introduced that (machine step).”
The next major milestone for Anthony will involve facing high velocity on a Trajekt machine designed to simulate opposing major league pitchers.
Roster Flexibility Forces Bullpen Shuffling in Worcester
The pursuit of roster depth and fresh arms also prompted a surprising move following a wild 13-inning victory.
Tracy explained that deploying the entire bullpen in recent extra-inning games made acquiring a bulk option an absolute necessity. Burgos provides a traditional starter’s arm capable of handling significant pitch counts, while the assignment functions as a scheduled de-load period for Weissert after heavy usage.
“It’s obvious after using the entire bullpen last night, when you get into a spot looking at that, it’s imperative that we have an arm that’s got 90 to 100 pitches if you need it, because we’re thin, obviously.”
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