The Red Sox are holding onto the second American League Wild Card position with 10 days left on the regular-season calendar, but the clubhouse work is centered on health as much as the standings. A postseason berth could be secured as soon as this weekend, giving Boston room to take the careful route with several important players rather than force them back before they are ready.
Boston’s injury board entering the final stretch
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Willson Contreras: Boston’s most productive hitter this season avoided a much worse outcome after a pitch struck the top of his right hand in the eighth inning Thursday in Texas. Contreras left the game immediately and said the initial pain made him fear a fracture, but ballpark X-rays came back negative.
He was not taped up Friday, though he spent time receiving treatment. The current focus is reducing swelling and restoring his grip strength over the next several days. Interim manager Chad Tracy called him day to day and said the club remains optimistic based on the first examination. Additional imaging has not been scheduled, though that could change if his recovery stalls.
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Aroldis Chapman: The closer’s absence became apparent when Garrett Whitlock finished Thursday’s win in Texas. Chapman has been dealing with tightness in his lat, an issue that began during a workout before Tuesday’s game.
The left-hander said he felt well enough to play catch before Friday’s opener against the Rays, but the Red Sox shut that down. He does not expect to pitch this weekend and is targeting the final homestand, which begins Tuesday, for his return.
“I’m not worried at all,” Chapman said. “From the first time I felt it to today, I feel very good. I was going to go out and throw, but the team wants to take it slow, and they want me to take my time.”
His target is clear: being fully ready for a potential playoff opener on Sept. 29. “A hundred percent,” Chapman said.
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Ceddanne Rafaela: Boston’s All-Star center fielder has not appeared in a game since Sept. 2 because of a right quad strain. A minor league rehab appearance with Triple-A Worcester appears unlikely, with that club’s season ending Sunday.
Still, Rafaela has made encouraging progress in his running program. Tracy said the center fielder reached close to 90 percent of his normal acceleration in a recent workout. If Worcester is no longer an option, Boston hopes to get Rafaela live at-bats through batting-practice work and Trajekt machine sessions. The running remains the central test.
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Garrett Crochet: The ace left-hander has been sidelined by a left shoulder injury since April 25 and is trying to make it back as a postseason reliever. His next checkpoint comes Saturday at Fenway Park, where he is scheduled for his second up-and-down bullpen session of the week.
For Crochet to be available at the opening of the playoffs, he would need to begin facing hitters next week. Tracy said the next five days should provide a much firmer answer about whether that timetable is realistic.
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Tanner Houck: Houck is set for the fourth and final outing of his minor league rehab assignment Saturday, when he is expected to throw about 50 pitches for Worcester. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery 13 months ago.
If all goes smoothly, Boston could give him one or two regular-season appearances next week. Those outings would help determine whether he can factor into the postseason pitching picture.
A roster built for the games ahead
The Red Sox have reached the point where a day off can be more valuable than a September appearance. Contreras needs the swelling in his hand to settle. Chapman needs his lat to stay quiet. Rafaela needs his first-step burst back. Crochet and Houck still have baseball work to complete before any October conversation becomes concrete.
With a Wild Card place still firmly in hand and a clinching opportunity approaching, Boston is treating these final regular-season games as preparation for the larger assignment. The goal is not simply to get names back onto the active roster. It is to have them ready to contribute when the postseason arrives.
