Anyone hoping to see Sonny Gray pitch for the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday is going to have to wait a little longer. Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reported on Sunday that the Red Sox decided to skip his next scheduled start against the Seattle Mariners.
Gray has thrown 143.2 innings this season. With a potential postseason run on the horizon, the Red Sox decided that he needs some extra rest. He’ll be back on the mound when the Red Sox take on the Baltimore Orioles.
“Take a few extra days, get your body right,” Gray said.
This decision isn’t an entirely new one for the Red Sox this season. They’ve already given Jake Bennett, a rookie starting pitcher, extra rest. However, prior to this, the team had preferred to keep Gray on his usual rest.
Incidentally, Tuesday is the day when rosters expand. So, the Red Sox will have the option to go with a starter on the roster, a bullpen game, or even call someone up. For now, though, interim manager Chad Tracy made it clear they don’t know who will replace Gray.
“We’re just talking through what we want to do,” Tracy said. “It’s September and we’re talking through, what do we want to do and how do we want to structure this rotation? … We’ll get more information as we go.”
Sonny Gray Has Been Excellent for the Boston Red Sox
When Sonny Gray landed with the Boston Red Sox, there were some questions about what he’d provide. A veteran presence, he could always help with the otherwise young rotation, but he had his worst season ERA since 2018 in 2025.
Almost immediately, Gray bounced back in Boston. The veteran currently has a 2.82 ERA and a 1.176 WHIP. He also has a 16-4 record in 25 starts, having missed a little bit of time due to an early-season hamstring strain.
Still, with other pitchers, most notably Garrett Crochet and Ranger Suarez, going down with injuries that have cost them a decent amount of time, the Red Sox have needed to lean on Gray. It’s a role he’s stepped into well.
Heading into the playoffs, Crochet is working to get healthy, but won’t be able to give more than a couple of innings per outing. Suarez has struggled since his own return from injury. Then, Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett lack any postseason starts in their careers. So, making sure that Gray is ready to go for the postseason is a big deal.
The Red Sox Need to Bounce Back
The weekend series offered an opportunity for the Red Sox. Down 2.o games to the New York Yankees, they had a four-game series in the Bronx. In the end, it felt lucky that they won a single game.
Now, the Red Sox find themselves 4.o games behind the Yankees in the standings. That’s still a good position to make the playoffs as a Wild Card, but it’s going to be much harder to get into position to host a series in the opening round.
The Red Sox will look to bounce back at Fenway Park now. Starting on Monday, they’ll host the Mariners before a road trip to Baltimore.
Red Sox Make Decision on Sonny Gray Prior to Key Mariners Series