Red Sox Face Lingering Adley Rutschman Question After Huge Orioles Trade

Making a blockbuster trade involving three of your top six prospects is scary enough, but how about when the player you're getting is on the injured list?

That was what the Boston Red Sox did on Monday, as they made the most surprising deal of the deadline in landing three-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles. Boston also got catcher Jake Rogers in the deal, while it sent pitching prospects Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon, catcher Carlos Narváez, outfield prospect Enddy Azocar, and a player to be named later back to its division rival.

Rutschman is under contract for next year, but with a potential lockout in play, it's clear the Red Sox are first and foremost trying to win a title in 2026. How soon will Rutschman be back on the field to help them achieve that goal?

How is Rutschman healing from wrist inflammation?

Rutschman last played on July 17 and has missed 13 games on the injured list with wrist inflammation. He'll need rehab games in the near future, but after the deal on Monday, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's comments on the injury timetable left things in a very vague spot.

“I talked to him earlier today,” Breslow said, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. “At this point, I’m not gonna try to put a timetable on what his return might look like. I think it’s best for him to get under our care, get our medical staff, our athletic trainers and our doctors’ hands on him. From there, we’ll figure out what the right course of action is here.

“In talking to him, he’s very optimistic,” Breslow added. “He’s saying he feels quite a bit better.”

Before the trade, the Orioles were saying Rutschman's rehab stint could come as soon as this week. The Triple-A Worcester Red Sox are at home for all of this week and next, which helps the rehab efforts for scheduling purposes.

Still, the fact that nothing is set in stone is rightfully making this fan base nervous. The Red Sox have only 51 games left to play in the regular season as of Tuesday, so at this point, getting 40 out of Rutschman would have to be considered a win. And after giving up that kind of haul, the pressure to keep him around beyond 2027 will be immense.

The Red Sox have been playing with serious momentum, and the addition of Rutschman could help them become real World Series contenders. Does that make the deal worth the risk involved?

Add us as a preferred source on Google