The Boston Red Sox are 79-65 with 18 games remaining. The pitching staff just completed a dominant four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles and now begin a homestand at Fenway Park.
The rotation has found its footing over the past week, but the depth behind it remains a concern. Brayan Bello is starting Monday for the first time since June. The bullpen has carried a heavy workload down the stretch, and Boston’s margin for error only tightens from here.
Reinforcements may not be far away. The latest update on an important arm provided a concrete timeline for Boston.
Pitcher’s Rehab Plan Takes Shape
Tim Healey of the Boston Globe reported that Tanner Houck will throw roughly 20 pitches with Double-A Portland on Tuesday. He will follow that with a 40-to-45-pitch outing with Portland on Friday. From there, Houck will join Triple-A Worcester for an appearance at some point the following week.
The three-step progression gives the Red Sox a clear path toward getting Houck back on a major league mound. Each outing builds on the last. If the rehab holds, a late-September activation becomes a realistic possibility.
Houck has not appeared in a major league game since May of last year. He underwent a hybrid elbow reconstruction last August that combined UCL repair with flexor tendon work. The road back has been long, but it has moved steadily forward over the past month.
What the Role Will Look Like for the Red Sox
The calendar narrows what the Red Sox can ask of Houck when he returns. Chad Tracy addressed that reality on Friday.
“I don’t think we’re going to be able to get him stretched out to a starter role,” Tracy said.
The return will come in a bullpen capacity. That does not diminish the value. Houck earned an American League All-Star selection in 2024 after posting a 3.12 ERA with 154 strikeouts across a full season as a starter. His sinker-slider combination generated ground balls at one of the highest rates in the league.
Deploying that repertoire in shorter, high-leverage stints could give Boston an edge it does not currently have in its bullpen. A 40-to-50-pitch reliever with starter stuff is a different kind of arm than anything else available right now.
The Build Has Been Steady
Houck threw 15 to 18 pitches in a bridge league game in Fort Myers at the start of September. His fastball averaged 92 miles per hour and peaked at 94. The velocity signaled that the arm is building back toward where it needs to be.
By the time he reaches Worcester, the pitch count should be in the range where meaningful relief outings become possible.
⚾️ He’ll throw roughy about 20 pitches with Portland on Tuesday.
⚾️ 40-45 with Portland on Friday.
⚾️ Then he’ll join the WooSox for an outing at some point next week.
Final Word for the Red Sox
The plan is mapped out. Twenty pitches on Tuesday. Forty-five on Friday. Worcester next week.
Tanner Houck is not far away. The Red Sox pitching staff has held up well in recent days, but the stretch run will test every arm on the roster. Getting a former All-Star back for the final push changes the equation.
The arm is responding. The timeline is real.
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