Red Sox Could Turn to 9-Year Veteran for Mariners Series

The Boston Red Sox have another piece on the way back to town after Roman Anthony and Trevor Story.

May 31, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2) rounds third base en route to scoring during the seventh inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When rosters expand across Major League Baseball on Tuesday, it's becoming clear who is coming to town for the Boston Red Sox.

On Monday, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy shared that veteran utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the "likely" addition coming to town on the position player side. The club hasn't decided on a hurler to bring to town just yet, as shared on X by Ari Alexander of 7News Boston WHDH.

"Isiah Kiner-Falefa is the likely addition to the roster tomorrow, per Chad Tracy," Alexander wrote. "They are still trying to figure out the pitching plan, which is partially based on who throws tonight."

The Red Sox Have More Help Coming

Jun 18, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2) celebrates his home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Sep. 1, rosters expand around the league from 26 to 28. It has seemed likely that Kiner-Falefa was going to be the guy to get the call. With him, Roman Anthony and Trevor Story all on the Injured List and rehabbing at the same time, it led to plenty of buzz about who could get axed from the roster to make room. While this is the case, Kiner-Falefa shared last week that he would be completely open to coming up on Sep. 1, rather than earlier, to help the club with its roster crunch.

On Sunday, Mickey Gasper and Anthony Seigler were optioned down to Triple-A. Gasper was brought back up on Monday, though, as Willson Contreras was placed on the Injured List. While Kiner-Falefa may not be a game-changer like Anthony, he's the exact type of veteran you want on your team heading into the playoffs.

Kiner-Falefa can play all four infield spots, which is especially important with Contreras on the Injured List. That's not all, though. He has 21 games of playoff experience under his belt, including 15 with the Toronto Blue Jays last year on their trip to the World Series.

There are a handful of guys on the Red Sox's big league roster — and in Triple-A — who do a lot of the same things. Kiner-Falefa, Nick Sogard, Andruw Monasterio and Seigler and Romy González down in Triple-A are all utility guys who can play all over the place. When Kiner-Falefa is activated, they will have three of them in the majors. On paper, it may look like an imperfect fit. But in reality, Boston's roster is movable and full of flexibility. That's going to be an advantage by the time the playoffs arrive.

More help is on the way.