What We Know Now About Red Sox's Adley Rutschman Return Timeline

It certainly sounds like Boston Red Sox fans are going to be able to see the club's newest star in the very near future, barring a setback.

Boston acquired three-time All-Star Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the 2026 Major League Baseball trade deadline. While this is the case, Rutschman hasn't played in a game since July 18. That is because he has been on the Injured List due to left wrist inflammation.

Things are trending in the right direction, though. On Thursday, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said that Rutschman was "close" to a minor league rehab assignment. On Friday, Tracy took it a step further and shared that Rutschman will begin his rehab assignment on Saturday with Triple-A Worcester and catch five innings.

Adley Rutschman Is Taking A Huge Step Forward

Jul 17, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Tyler Wells (68) celebrates with catcher Adley Rutschman (35) after defeating the Houston Astros in the ninth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Adley's going to play tomorrow,” Tracy said. “Adley's going to catch five innings and get two to three ABs tomorrow.”

Chad Tracy confirms that Adley Rutschman will play tomorrow in Worcester 👀🎙️

presented by @WBMasonCo 🤝 pic.twitter.com/PygWMxldUp
— NESN (@NESN) August 8, 2026

The official Worcester Red Sox X account shared the news as well.

You might wanna take a trip to Polar Park tomorrow 👀

Tickets at https://t.co/iNRhBbyEcY pic.twitter.com/ddVLP319Pv
— Worcester Kelley Squares (@WooSox) August 8, 2026

When a position player begins a minor league rehab assignment, a 20-day countdown clock begins. That's the maximum amount of time a position player can stay down in the minors on a rehab assignment before the club has to decide whether to activate the player, or option them. If there is a setback, the clock resets if the player is returned due to injury.

So, with Rutschman set to begin his rehab assignment on Saturday, we now know that the last day he could be on a rehab assignment is Aug. 27. That would be 20 days total beginning on Aug. 8. Then the club would have to make a decision by Aug. 28.

But with Rutschman already kicking off his rehab assignment by catching five innings and batting two or three times, it doesn't seem like he'll need the entire 20-day window to return. Now, of course, that could change once the games are actually being played. But Rutschman is trending up and Boston fans should be able to see him in action very soon, barring a setback.

This is a big deal. Boston has won nine games in a row and currently has a 64-51 record. Boston is just a half-game behind the New York Yankees for the top American League Wild Card spot. Clearly, Boston already is in a very good position. When Rutschman is activated, they'll immediately be better on paper. Before landing on the Injured List, the All-Star backstop was slashing .251/.331/.433 with a .764 OPS, eight homers and 47 RBIs. That'll play in the middle of the Red Sox's lineup and it should be very soon.

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