The Boston Red Sox are keeping catcher Adley Rutschman out of the lineup on Tuesday. This isn’t a regular day of rest, though, as it appears that Rutschman is dealing with a new injury scare.
Christopher Smith of MassLive reported the injury concern for Rutschman. This comes after he aggravated something while swinging on Monday. That was in an 0-5 effort at the plate against the Miami Marlins.
“Adley Rutschman took an aggressive swing yesterday and felt it a little in the right elbow,” Smith wrote. “So Red Sox are just playing it safe with him today. Chad Tracy said there’s ‘no concern.'”
The Red Sox paid a king’s ransom for Rutschman at the Trade Deadline. That package included one of the team’s MLB catchers, Carlos Narvaez, too. So, it makes sense that they’d want to be careful with the All-Star catcher.
In general, the current plan for Rutschman calls for him to get plenty of rest. That includes sitting every third day. This will be a bit of a quicker pace for Rutschman to get to his day off, but they’ll need him ready to go for the weekend, when the Red Sox are set to begin a series in the Bronx against the New York Yankees.
Adley Rutschman Was Injured When the Boston Red Sox Traded for Him
GettyBoston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman
One major concern for the Boston Red Sox when they traded for him was that Adley Rutschman was already injured. The Baltimore Orioles placed him on the IL back on July 20th with left wrist inflammation. That was his third time on the IL in 2026.
Rutschman had previously suffered a concussion in June. Back in April, he dealt with left ankle inflammation. Neither of those were long-term issues, but both took around ten days to get back on the field. That’s a loss the Red Sox really can’t afford to take as they’re making a push for the top Wild Card spot.
It’s also worth noting that this is another new issue for Rutschman. Previous injuries were to the ankle, wrist, and head. So, an elbow is another ailment for him to battle through. That’s not easy to do over the course of a season, especially at the catcher position.
Since getting to the Red Sox, Rutschman has played in just 12 games and has largely struggled at the plate. He’s hitting .146 with a .255 OBP, a .244 slugging percentage, and a .499 OPS.
Options at Catcher for the Red Sox Behind Rutschman
GettyBoston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong
If the Red Sox are forced to go without Adley Rutschman for an extended period of time, there are two basic options at catcher. The first is Connor Wong.
Wong has been with the Red Sox since 2020, when he was a part of the return for Mookie Betts. By 2021, he was able to crack the MLB roster and has seen mixed results since, largely acting as the team’s backup catcher during that time.
This year, Wong is having a solid year at the plate. He’s hitting .257 with a .337 OBP, a .392 slugging percentage, and a .729 OPS. He only has 4 home runs, but they’re far from bad offensive numbers for a backup catcher.
Another option for the Red Sox would be Mickey Gasper. Up and down from Triple-A this season, Gasper struggles defensively behind the plate. However, he has moments where he gets very hot with the bat, and is hitting .270 with a .350 OBP, a .421 slugging percentage, and a .770 OPS in 41 MLB games this season.
Obviously, the hope is still that Rutschman is able to play the majority of games at catcher for the Red Sox. But, in a worst-case scenario, there are options with some MLB experience.
Red Sox Catcher Adley Rutschman Dealing With New Injury Scare