BOSTON — It’s getting close to decision time for the Red Sox on Tanner Houck.
Houck struck out six batters and allowed a single run on three hits in 4 ⅓ innings in a 76-pitch rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday night
. It was the fifth rehab outing for Houck, who has been out since mid-May with a right flexor pronator strain — and the last.
“We’ll wait until tomorrow and see how he bounces back,” said manager Alex Cora. “Felt good throughout the outing. Physically, let’s see where we’re at, but today, he said he felt normal.”
Houck’s 30-day rehab clock started June 18, so the Red Sox must make a move with him by next Thursday (June 17). Because minor league teams (like their major league parent clubs) have the All-Star break next week, there will be no more games for Houck to pitch in before his assignment expires.
The Red Sox, then, will need to decide what to do with him coming out of the break. Boston can either activate Houck or — if they feel he’d benefit from more time in the minor leagues, take the unexpected step of optioning him to the WooSox to continue pitching at Triple-A.
That doesn’t seem particularly likely considering how Houck pitched better in his last two rehab outings. But there are certain tweaks the Red Sox wanted him to make during a nine-start stretch to the season in which he had an 8.04 ERA. There’s a chance that process could continue even after the rehab clock is up.
There aren’t many members of the current rotation that Houck would represent a clear upgrade over. Behind ace Garrett Crochet, Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello have taken steps forward as consistent forces and the club wants to extend Hunter Dobbins’ leash once he returns from the injured list Friday. Boston could move Walker Buehler to the bullpen after a poor stretch (including an outing Thursday in which he allowed two homers and walked three) if the club deems Houck to be a better option.
Richard Fitts and Kyle Harrison are in Triple-A as depth options
.
“We have to make decisions,” Cora said.
A creative way to re-introduce Houck to the mix might be bringing him back in a high-leverage relief role.
Boston is still in search of the right setup mix to hand the ball to All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman and Houck’s arsenal suggests he could be effective in a late-inning role
. In 2022, when the club moved him from the rotation to the bullpen in an effort to help the relief corps, Houck finished his year with a dominant 25-game stretch in which he posted a 1.49 ERA and struck out 33 batters in 36 ⅓ innings before undergoing season-ending back surgery. He was 8-for-9 in save chances.
The Red Sox had Houck come in relief of an opener for Worcester on June 29 to see how he’d react to a change of circumstances. The club has stretched Houck out as a starter since — but has not ruled out the possibility of him coming back as a reliever.
“We haven’t talked about that one yet,” Cora said.
After Dobbins returns to start Friday, the Red Sox will throw Crochet and Bello in the final two games of the unofficial first half.
