Red Sox Are Due To Recieve Notable Reinforcements Ahead Of Trade Deadline
If the Boston Red Sox have any chance of going on a meaningful run, they'll have to be near full strength.
Fortunately, there are a slew of players set to make their way back to the active roster ahead of the Aug 1. Major League Baseball trade deadline.
That deadline is when the front office will determine whether or not to go for it this season, making the next month vital to keeping the 2023 season alive.
The biggest asset on the shelf is Trevor Story (internal bracing procedure) who might come back in July as a designated hitter, and there's a good chance he makes his debut at shortstop in August.
The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham gave a plethora of updates on where some notable players are in their respective recovery.
The second-most important player that fell victim to injury is right-hander John Schreiber (muscle strain), who has thrown a couple of bullpens and is trending toward a rehab assignment. He's first eligible to return to Boston's active roster on July 16.
Yu Chang (left hamate fracture) is on his third go-around at a rehab assignment for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. He's expected to play back-to-back games at shortstop this week, starting on Saturday. It sounds like Chang could be back in Boston's lineup in no time. Joining Chang in Portland is left-handed reliever Richard Bleir (shoulder), who is pitching on Sunday and is likely a few weeks away from returning to the majors.
On Tuesday, Pablo Reyes (abdominal strain) will be starting his rehab assignment, which would potentially set him up for a return to Boston at some point in July.
Joely Rodriguez (left shoulder inflammation) has made five rehab appearances and appears to be fully healthy. The Red Sox likely just want to see more out of the reliever prior to calling him back up given his shaky debut with the team prior to injury.
With injuries mounting all over the diamond, these key pieces returning would be crucial for a playoff push.
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