This is WAY better than we thought....

This is way better than we thought as we just got major injury updates surrounding the Boston Red Sox and the laundry list of names currently on the IL. I'm here to break down all of the updates from manager Chad Tracy and what to expect from the slew of names currently dealing with injuries in rehab stints as well as the names that just went on the IL that just took the MRIs and what the diagnoses actually are and what to expect and when to expect these guys actually to return. We'll break down all of that on this episode of Red Sox Digest so let's not waste any time because there are so many names to break down. Shout out to Roman Anthony for getting paid. That was from the last episode. Check that out if you haven't already seen it but this is insanity. Look at the names on this list. It almost feels like it never ends as Yoshida just went on, Kassus has been there all year, Story, IKF, Curtis Meade, Roman, Cutter Crawford, Crochet, Houck, Oviedo, Zach Kelly, Justin Slayton, Garrett Whitlock. All of these guys are on the IL for the Boston Red Sox and despite that the Red Sox continue to battle, continue to be a formidable team in the game of baseball, winning series, winning games, and just battling against incredible opponents like the Arizona Diamondbacks who they just took out of three games against. So let's break down some of the injury updates. Shout out to Nessen for posting this but again there's a lot going on here. We're going to start with the offensive side of things and then we are going to get to the pitching side of things because there's a lot more on the pitching side of things than there are for the offensive side of things. So let's first start with the newest addition to the IL and that is Masataka Yoshida. We broke it down when it originally happened after the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates where Yoshida hit a double when he ended up getting to second base. He was about a stride away from sliding into second base where the hamstring went and it was abundantly clear that there was something wrong. If you guys did not see the clip please google it. I might tag it down below I just couldn't play it for you guys because of copyright issues and everything else. He rounds first everything's fine. He takes about four to five strides before second base and then the tire falls off and he basically face plants. He plays it off really well in a head first slide into second base. Tracy immediately walks out to second because there was something apparently wrong with Masa. Post game talking through his interpreter he was asked about it and he said the last time he suffered a hamstring injury it cost him about a month. He did get an MRI. He did get scanned and the idea was that it wasn't substantial but it was something that has to be taken into consideration because it is a bit significant but again he's it doesn't seem like he's going to miss the remainder of the season. It could be about a month a month and some change and he could be back by the end of September. Now Tracy does say there's no timetable yet but Tracy has done this all year long when dealing with injuries. He does not like to put timetables on these injuries to expect to rush players back or to force them through these rehab stints or force them through these just just working back in any way whether it requires a rehab stint or just some form of off the field training type of thing and that's I like Tracy for that. I really do like that from Tracy because there's no reason to say hey this player's gonna be back on September 15th and then September 15th comes he doesn't return and then everyone's just asking questions. They're demanding why the date was put out there if it wasn't going to be accurate. So I'm totally okay with Tracy not putting a timetable out there. Masa did give us some idea of what it was going to look like like mentioned earlier it could be a month maybe a month and some change we can expect probably the tail end of September which would play to exactly a month because it is August 20th as I'm recording this video and Masa suffered this injury what five eight six five to eight days ago so let's call it a month a month and some change at that and maybe then Masataka will retire retire will return the underlying metrics aren't great but the guy's batting 275 this year he's swinging a hot bat over the last month and some change and it's really unfortunate to see him go because he was a legitimate DH option for this Red Sox team and because he has now exited the roster and exited the lineup I should say Mickey Gasper's now getting more opportunity Connor Wong Siegler all these guys are getting more opportunity to play the field and shout to Mickey Gasper going out there and hitting three home runs in three games including a three run shot to tie the game yesterday against the Diamondbacks which unfortunately did result in a loss in extra innings but again Mickey Gasper getting the opportunities that he's getting because Masataka and all of these other great players are on the IL for the Red Sox and he's making good with it now we continue to the next name and that is Curtis Meade obviously Curtis Meade came over in that first trade of the pre uh and or NBA pre MLB trade deadline just uh what 18 or 12 days ago and Meade was expected to be a legitimate option in this Red Sox lineup way right-handed power bat that can play all throughout the infield he gets hit in his first game his second at bat on the hand the only piece of really the forearm slash wrist hand area that wasn't covered by a guard because that's just the way baseball works obviously and we haven't seen him actually play any games in Fenway Park because it happened out playing the athletics I continue wanting to call them Oakland the Sacramento Athletics so that's unfortunate but he just had a baby as reported by Tracy in this uh actual interview now we don't have anything outside of that he says no wrist update yet on Meade he uh but he and his wife just had their baby which is awesome congrats to the Meade family that's phenomenal hope everyone's in good health and everything's going well but we don't have really any updates the last thing we heard was that it was in a cast that they were taking their time with it and they didn't want to force him back just like we've heard for all of the major injuries that the Red Sox organization has dealt with up to this point in the year but again no injury updates exactly on Curtis Meade outside of the life update that he and his wife just had a baby so again congrats to the Meades now we continue to the pitching side of things you have Gray, Sandoval, Bennett, Ranger, Suarez, and Payton totally rounding out the starting rotation and in the bullpen the top three guys are still there Chapman, Miller, and Guerrero they have been phenomenal all year long and then you have Weiser, Moran, and then you have Wyatt Olds, Alec Gamboa, and Brian Bale. Bale has been absolutely phenomenal out of the bullpen it's actually insane he has a lower ERA than Mason Miller right now out of the bullpen best in major league baseball never thought that would have happened but it did thank god Brian Bale has accepted his role and he's no longer fighting to be a starter because it's working out in the bullpen but guys like Wyatt Olds, Alec Gamboa, are now being used and they have constantly fluctuated that bullpen and thrown in new names down from their AAA and AA affiliates in order to maintain some stability and not put workloads on some of these bullpen arms that have taken such a huge load up to this point in the season so what updates do we have well let's first go back to this before we pull up the underlying metrics uh where are we uh no structural damage for Whitlock or Slayton's MRIs just inflammation as expected which is absolutely huge because if you did miss it Garrett Whitlock the best setup man in all of baseball just went to the IL as well as Justin Slayton the underlying metrics are obviously phenomenal these two guys are legitimate backbones to the bullpen in the back end of the bullpen for this Red Sox team which not to mention has been one of if not the best in all of baseball all year long so losing these two guys especially at this stretch is really really tough but 16 games in 16 days is you have to expect someone is going to go down with injury unfortunately I hate saying that but that's a lot on their plate that's a lot of games in a limited amount of days and it's it's a huge workload to say the absolute least especially for a bullpen that has had a huge workload all season long especially with the injuries that the Red Sox have dealt with in the pitching staff both in the starting side of things and coming out of the bullpen now we continue again huge updates no structural damage to either of these guys just inflammation so we can expect a 10-day IL stint possibly for both of these guys if not 15 which the Red Sox can get away with they have a lot of talent in the on the pitching side of things especially with someone like Brian Bale being able to collect three to four to five even five innings coming out of the bullpen if need be as well as great starters still available in the starting rotation so we continue how through to he is quote in the picture which is huge to see because we haven't seen Tanner Hauk in a long time it feels like an eternity since we've seen Tanner Hauk pitch for this Red Sox organization despite pitching last year granted he only pitched in nine games he dealt with some injuries last year as well 43 point 43 and two-thirds innings pitched last year and overall not the greatest stuff a negative 1.4 war but that is coming off the best year of his career where he posted a 3.2 war and was named an all-star like the guy has the ability to be a legitimate piece to this Red Sox rotation or coming out of the bullpen which is something they desperately need at this state especially without guys like Oviedo, Crochet, Slayton, Whitlock all of these guys that are substantial pieces for the Red Sox especially on the pitching side of things if you can get someone like Tanner Hauk back and he's formidable that would be a huge plus to this Red Sox bullpen that we continue someone that I know Red Sox nation has completely forgotten about being a part of this Red Sox team Johan Oviedo someone that we were really excited about when the Red Sox actually acquired him for the password from the Pittsburgh Pirates back in last December he has only pitched in one game for the Red Sox what was it three and two-thirds or four innings let me see it was right here three and two-thirds he's pitched this year for the Red Sox posting a negative .1 war unfortunate but again the lack of reps are there and you can't really judge him on the war because he's only pitched in three and two-thirds innings he could be a he is a starter but he could be used as a bullpen arm as well because of what he maintains in the sense of the stuff that he maintains he can throw 98 miles an hour he has a legit four to five pitch mix and could be a legitimate option to this Red Sox team it seems like he's working his way back the updates from Tracy were as follows Oviedo is still in his bullpen progression so he's still throwing bullpens but he's not throwing live against batters yet he's not in live game reps unfortunately but still there is progression he is working his way through his bullpen reps and again this is another positive positive reinforcement or positive update from Tracy surrounding another legitimate pitching arm for the Red Sox now the final one is Garrett Crochet the big man Garrett Crochet Crochet is still throwing from 60 feet and he's increasing volume which is awesome to see and all signs are pointing to the idea that if and when he does return this season towards the tail end of September into the postseason he will be used as a bullpen arm and be available to throw one to two innings for this Red Sox organization now obviously that is not what Red Sox fans in this Red Sox organization expected to get from Garrett Crochet after they traded for him from the Chicago White Sox but it's progress and if he does return and he can help this Red Sox team in any way it is a positive and it will go a long way for this Red Sox team especially if they continue to deal with injuries and a lack of depth in this bullpen that they are currently dealing with with so many credible names currently on the IL and dealing with injury so if you guys don't remember Garrett Crochet was a relief arm he was a closer for the Chicago White Sox and if you go back to the years with Chicago his first three years outside of this 2022 season where he had Tommy John and missed the year 21 or excuse me 20 21 and 23 he was a bullpen guy again he played in what five games his rookie year didn't start any 54 games his sophomore year didn't start in any and then at 13 or that third year he's played 13 games didn't start in any and he was really really really good and it'd be great to have him back not only because he's Garrett Crochet and the what he the abilities that he maintains on the pitching mound whether he's starting a bullpen arm or a closer the ability to go out there and just be a lightning rod on the mound and a very very talented guy when throwing the baseball will be a huge huge help to this Red Sox organization overall really really positive returns and really positive comments surrounding all the guys we broke down including Slayton and Oviedo they're no there's no negative really ideas here surrounding the guys on the aisle they it seems like they're all progressing at their own rate and they will return at some point this season whether it's in 15 days like Slayton and Whitlock or if it's in another month in some change like Masa Crochet and others these are all positive updates and it's exactly what Red Sox fans wanted to hear because again they're in a position to make a run at a fall classic this season and the best way to do it is if they are fully healthy especially with the biggest names they have available let me know down below your thoughts and opinions on this Red Sox update injury update at that and your expectations for these guys when they do return thank you guys for watching i'll see you on the next episode of Red Sox Digest