The Boston Red Sox outlasted the Chicago White Sox 12-11 in 13 innings on Thursday night at Fenway Park. The Red Sox erased five separate deficits, got a walkoff hit from Caleb Durbin, and extended their winning streak to eight games. Boston improved to 63-51 and has now won 31 of its last 36.
The game lasted four hours and 23 minutes. Every available reliever was used. It was the kind of win that leaves a clubhouse both drained and energized at the same time.
Before the chaos began, Chad Tracy provided a pregame update one of the players the Red Sox hope to be counting on down the stretch.
Red Sox Get Rutschman Update
Adley Rutschman is making progress toward a return. Tracy said the three-time All-Star ‘hit pretty aggressively’ and ramped up his baseball activities Thursday in a notable step forward.
“He hit pretty aggressively today, he was out on the field earlier and threw the bases,” Tracy said. “So quite a bit of baseball activities actually. And he’s done some agility work and some running, so he’s doing quite a bit.”
Rutschman has been taking swings off machines in the batting cage but has not yet progressed to receiving pitches from a live arm in a side session. That step remains one of the final hurdles before a rehab assignment can begin.
Before being traded to Boston at the deadline, Rutschman had put together a .764 OPS with eight homers and 40 RBIs across 67 games for Baltimore this season. Wrist inflammation shut him down in mid-July, marking his third stint on the injured list in 2026.
Tracy believes game action is getting closer.
“I think we’re close, I just don’t want to commit to exactly which day that would be,” Tracy said.
GettyBoston Red Sox Trade Deadline Acquisition Adley Rutschman shared his excitement to be joining the team.
Why the Timeline Requires Patience
Boston’s medical staff was not involved in the early stages of Rutschman’s rehab, which was handled entirely by the Orioles before the trade. That means the Red Sox need to evaluate his progress through their own lens before clearing the next phase.
“It’s just because we just got him and we weren’t overseeing the first part of that rehab,” Tracy said. “It’s difficult for me to give you an exact date on when we think that would be.”
Baltimore had initially projected a rehab assignment could begin around this point in August. That window still appears realistic, but Tracy made clear the Red Sox will let their own medical team dictate the pace.
Getting Rutschman back healthy matters more than getting him back fast.
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JULY 14: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles throws the ball during the eighth inning of the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park on July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Final Word for the Red Sox
The Red Sox keep winning. Eight straight. Thirty-one of 36. A roster that has proven it can compete with anyone in baseball.
Adding Rutschman to this group changes the equation again. The timeline is close. The boxes are being checked. The relationship with the pitching staff is already forming.
When he is ready, this team gets even more dangerous.
Red Sox Get Significant Adley Rutschman Injury Update