Willson Contreras, Adley Rutschman Updates Boost Red Sox's Outlook

The Boston Red Sox are inching closer to being whole.

All-Star first baseman Willson Contreras hasn't played in a game for Boston since Aug. 30, the club's final regular season action against the New York Yankees. Since then, he has been on the Injured List due to a hamstring injury. Contreras has been making clear progress in his recovery and Boston got its most positive update yet about the slugger on Wednesday.

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy shared that Contreras will join Double-A Portland on Friday and the expectation is that he will play one or two games before being activated by the big league club. MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo shared the news on X on Wednesday afternoon before the club's series finale against the Los Angeles Angels.

Positive News For Red Sox

Aug 21, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras (40) and third baseman Caleb Durbin (5) celebrate after defeating the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Chad Tracy said Willson Contreras will join AA Portland for a rehab game Friday (and maybe another Saturday)," Cotillo wrote. "Garrett Crochet will throw another bullpen session — not a live BP — over the weekend, Tracy said. Crochet bullpen will be Friday. Tyron Guerrero is slated to throw a live BP on Saturday if all continues to go well."

The second Contreras returns to the lineup, the Red Sox's lineup will get significantly more dangerous. Contreras has been Boston's most consistent hitter all season to this point. He has played in 125 games so far this season and it has actually been the best season of his career to this point from a WAR standpoint. He's at 4.4 wins above replacement right now. Before the 2026 season, his career high in WAR was 4.2. He's slashing .274/.384/.516 with a .900 OPS, 26 homers and 79 RBIs.

Contreras wasn't the only slugger who got a positive update on Wednesday as well. All-Star backstop Adley Rutschman has started to show some signs of life at the plate, but he has also been dealing with a banged-up elbow at the same time. Rutschman hasn't played since Monday when he hit a three-run shot against the Angels. On Wednesday, Tracy shared that he had a Cortisone shot in his elbow and is expected to return on Friday, also shared on X by Cotillo.

Adley Rutschman hits a 3-run homer off Pesky's Pole 💪 pic.twitter.com/ALmwzDyyfo
— MLB (@MLB) September 7, 2026

"Adley Rutschman is out because he had a Cortisone shot in his elbow Monday. Red Sox believe three days off (Tue, Wed, Thu) can allow that to settle and he can play Friday. They think this may take care of the lingering hyperextension issue," Cotillo wrote.

When it comes to Rutschman, there have been some real nerves in the fanbase about this elbow issue. Tracy said early in September that it's something that could impact the All-Star backstop for the rest of the season. That certainly got the fans talking. Since then, he has started hitting the ball out of the ballpark and now has had the Cortisone shot and is trending in the right direction. The Red Sox are already very good. They're about to get better.

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