To make room for newcomer Dustin May on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox transferred injured starter Tanner Houck to the 60-day injured list Thursday. And while that doesn’t impact Houck’s timeline for returning, an ominous quote from chief baseball officer Craig Breslow suggests the Sox might not get Houck back by the end of the season.
Houck was placed on the 15-day injured list May 14 (retroactive to May 13) with a right flexor pronator strain, so he has already been sidelined for more than two months and therefore the transfer to the 60-day IL is just a paper move that means he doesn’t occupy a 40-man spot. But Houck is still shut down from throwing after soreness resurfaced during his rehab outing in mid-July. Breslow suggested that all options are on the table.
Houck, who was pulled off his rehab assignment during the All-Star break after pitching five times in a three-week stretch for Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester, met with doctors this week to see why his arm injury has not gotten any better despite a long period of rest in the aftermath of him first being sidelined in May.
“I think he is trying to weigh all of the information, figure out what the right course is,” Breslow said. “Obviously, I’ve not had a chance to talk to him over the last two days but will tomorrow. We’ll figure out, at that point, what the course of action is here and make that available as appropriate.”
The Red Sox have been cagey about Houck’s status since pulling him off his rehab assignment on July 18. He has been around Fenway Park for home games but has not traveled with the team on the road, as is standard for injured players. Houck is running out of time to return to the rotation this season with just eight weeks left.
Houck, an All-Star last year who posted a 3.12 ERA in 30 starts over a career-high 178 ⅔ innings, was not himself to open 2025. After struggling mightily in spring training, he posted an 8.04 ERA in nine starts to start the season before being sidelined. He had two blow-up outings in a four-week span, allowing 12 runs (11 earned) in 2 ⅓ innings on April 14 in Tampa, then 11 runs (all earned) in 2 ⅓ innings in Detroit on May 12.
Boston won’t get Hunter Dobbins (torn ACL) or Kutter Crawford (wrist) back this season and is doubtful to get any contributions from Patrick Sandoval (Tommy John recovery). Because of that, the club added Dustin May to the rotation in a trade deadline deal with the Dodgers.
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