The Red Sox look more likely to reach October by the day. Could some reinforcements arrive over the next month to bolster their playoff chances?
Boston is past the point where it coul add to the roster through a conventional trade. The waiver wire generally proves rather thin this time of year. That's an unlikely avenue to bring in anyone who can make an impact. Those who could have been summoned from Triple-A — shortstop prospect Franklin Arias is on the tips of tongues throughout the region — might have received a call already if they were deemed ready to help.
Improving health could offer a change or two that would do the Red Sox some good down the stretch. They have multiple veterans currently running a race against the clock and the end of September waits for no one in baseball. It would be a considerable risk to include someone on a Wild Card or Division Series roster without watching them perform in a game setting at some point over these next few weeks.
Who could Boston welcome back in the immediate future? Is there a role for each player if and when they're cleared by the medical staff? What would those potential additions do to the current roster?
Let's explore a few of those cases:
Willson Contreras (left hamstring)
First baseman Contreras blasted a three-run homer against the Giants in a 6-4 win on Aug. 21, a 452-foot shot at Fenway Park that landed somewhere around the Massachusetts Turnpike. He finished that night with a .937 OPS and remained the cornerstone of the Red Sox lineup to date.
What followed was concerning — a lone extra-base hit, two walks and nine strikeouts while slashing .129/.206/.194 over eight games. The physical issues the 34-year-old has been battling for an extended period finally reached a tipping point.
Is this serious? Is it more of a maintenance period for a veteran player? Boston would be down a major threat in October if Contreras is anything less than his best at the plate.
Garrett Crochet (left shoulder/lat)
The Red Sox ace last season, Crochet hasn't worked since late April, placed on the injured list with what was described as left shoulder inflammation. It was only later when he disclosed problems with his lat muscle, a setback that's kept him out for the majority of his second season with the Red Sox.
Crochet is back throwing off the mound — there probably isn't enough time to build him up as a starter. He won't approach the brilliant Game 1 outing he produced against the Yankees in last year's Wild Card series. But can he offer something in a different role?
Opener, leverage reliever, just a looming bullpen threat to prevent a left-handed pinch hitter — Crochet could be a factor if he makes it back in time to join the postseason roster. Justifying a place for him among the 26 in any series would require identifying how he'll be used and whether or not that's more valuable than other potential additions who could offer more innings or throw in more games.
Tyron Guerrero (right shoulder)
Circle back to an Aug. 12 loss at Toronto — that's the inflection point to date for right-handed reliever Guerrero. He was brilliant prior to that disastrous outing — 31 games, 30 hits allowed, three walks against 34 strikeouts, a fine 2.03 earned-run average. That occurred after seven years out of the big leagues, a stint in Japan and a start to this season at Triple-A Worcester.
Guerrero allowed all five men he faced in that game against the Blue Jays to reach safely and it's been downhill since — eight games, 12 hits allowed, four walks against two strikeouts, an 8.22 ERA. He landed on the injured list this week with right shoulder inflammation, which could help explain the sudden loss in form. The Red Sox will be hoping it's just that minor diagnosis and not a return to the lack of effectiveness that sent Guerrero into the baseball wilderness after the 2019 season.
Tanner Houck (right elbow)
Here's some potential experienced relief help for the Red Sox. Houck came out of the bullpen in 33 of his first 53 career appearances from 2020 to 2022 before transitioning to a role as a full-time starter from 2023 to 2025. He was slammed to the tune of an 8.04 earned-run average last year before undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Houck has been throwing live batting practice and appeared in a couple of controlled game settings in Fort Myers, Fla., over the past month. His rehab is nearing an end but will it be in time to contribute in 2026? Boston would almost certainly want to see multiple outings in the big leagues before trusting Houck with meeting playoff pressure.
Curtis Mead (left hand and wrist)
Mead lasted two at-bats with the Red Sox after being acquired from the Nationals ahead of the trade deadline. He was hit by a pitch in a road game against the Athletics and suffered a fractured bone, an injury that has kept him out ever since.
Mead was finally delivering on his prospect status to that point — his numbers in Washington would have ranked second on Boston's roster in home runs and OPS. Second base looked like his spot to lose before a mix of Anthony Seigler and Nick Sogard took command. Mead's cast is off and he was spotted playing catch at Fenway Park in recent days, but asking him to hit 100-mph fastballs with a hand that's less than fully healthy could be a stretch.
Justin Slaten (right elbow)
Slaten is among a host of leverage relievers ahead of Aroldis Chapman who have suffered injuries with the Red Sox this season. He hasn't pitched since Aug. 12 while dealing with right elbow inflammation and it's up in the air whether or not he might return in time to receive postseason consideration.
Slaten allowed just four hits through nine scoreless appearances before opponents started to dial in — 31 hits allowed in his last 23⅓ innings, a 6.17 earned-run average and much less of a grip on the place behind Chapman and Garrett Whitlock. It could be nail-biting time for Boston fans if Slaten is summoned into any tight spots down the stretch.
Masataka Yoshida (left hamstring)
Yoshida hasn't played since a 4-0 win over the Pirates on Aug. 15 and it's worth asking where he would fit in the Red Sox lineup even if he's able to return. He's certainly not going to take time from outfielders Wilyer Abreu or Ceddanne Rafaela, and that leaves two spots — left field and designated hitter.
Jarren Duran is a superior defensive player who hits from the same side of the plate. Roman Anthony is an organizational centerpiece who will be given every opportunity to cement his place in Boston. Mickey Gasper is on a ridiculous hot streak at the plate and even that small sample could be enough to sway opinion in his favor.
It's hard to imagine any of those three players losing time to someone who has totaled five home runs in 297 plate appearances this season — just one since July 17.
More possibilities
Triston Casas, Kutter Crawford, Zack Kelly, Johan Oviedo, Eduardo Rivera
Pitchers Kelly (right elbow), Oviedo (right elbow) and Rivera (lumbar strain) appeared in a combined 22 games this season — Kelly accounted for 17 of those while pitching to a 3.31 earned run average out of the bullpen. None seems likely to make a contribution over the remainder of 2026.
Casas saw his recovery from a knee injury he suffered in 2025 interrupted by a setback. He underwent left wrist surgery in early August and won't play in a game at any level this year. It wasn't long ago that Casas was considered the club's top prospect and a potential impact bat at first base — there are major questions surrounding that projection now.
Starter Crawford is about to miss a second full year in a row while battling knee and wrist issues. He covered 183⅔ innings over 33 starts in 2024 — it would be surprising if he approaches that workload again with the Red Sox or elsewhere.
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Several injured Red Sox could return in time to impact an October run