The Boston Red Sox are still awaiting the returns of several key players as they begin the second half of their 2026 season.
Before Game 1 of Friday’s doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays, interim manager Chad Tracy shared injury updates on outfielder Roman Anthony, infielders Trevor Story, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Marcelo Mayer, and left-handers Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez and Connelly Early. Some updates were positive, while others didn’t inspire much optimism.
Garrett Crochet
Crochet hasn’t pitched since April 25 due to left shoulder inflammation and a lat strain. The Red Sox ace hasn’t made any meaningful progress in his recovery and still hasn’t thrown a baseball since going on the injured list.
“Garrett, there’s no change,” Tracy said. “He’s still doing a lot of work to strengthen the rotator cuff, so there’s no change as far as when he’s going to throw yet.”
Crochet opened up about the injury in a candid interview with WEEI’s Rob Bradford on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast.
“We’re in it right now, so it’s tough that I’m kind of sitting on my hands. But I also feel like it’s the right thing for the Boston Red Sox as well as myself,” Crochet said. “That was part of it to begin with. Selfishly, I wanted to get back because I wanted to help the team.
“The team has clearly shown that they can survive and thrive. Now that we’re coming back into it, I’m able to take a step back and think, ‘How can I help the team?’ Full transparency, I was not throwing the ball well before going on the IL. I felt like I was turning a corner, but in order for me to help the team, I gotta be healthy.”
Roman Anthony
Anthony has been sidelined since May 4 due to a torn ligament and a partially torn tendon in his right ring finger/wrist. He was recently sent to Fort Myers, Fla. to continue his rehab.
Tracy said that Anthony is feeling a bit better, but still not swinging a bat.
Ranger Suarez
Suarez hasn’t pitched since July 5 because of a groin injury. Tracy issued a positive update on the left-hander, noting that he’s expected to return to Boston’s rotation next week with no rehab assignment. He’s eligible to return from the injured list on Tuesday, but Tracy is considering giving him an extra day or two to rest.
Trevor Story
Story underwent sports hernia surgery in May. The veteran shortstop is back to hitting and is ramping up his fielding work, according to Tracy.
The original timetable for Story’s injury was 8-12 weeks. He has reached the eight-week mark.
Connelly Early
Early had an injury scare when he left his June 30 start with an elbow issue. He got a second opinion on the injury, and it was revealed to be elbow inflammation/irritation and nothing more serious.
Tracy said Early began throwing again during the All-Star break.
“Connelly threw at the tail end of the break, which is good. He’s gonna throw 75 feet today, 90 feet tomorrow,” Tracy said. “We’ll just keep, as he increases distance, read and react to how he’s feeling. That’s a good sign.”
Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Marcelo Mayer
Kiner-Falefa and Mayer went down with similar forearm injuries last month. Tracy said on Friday that both players will have X-rays early next week to track their progress.
