MLB Notebook: Red Sox' Willson Contreras hears it from Fenway crowd, Adley Rutschman begins rehab, checking in on the farm

One of the key players in the Red Sox’ remarkable turnaround heard something unfamiliar from the Fenway Park crowd Saturday afternoon.

Boos raining down from the stands.

Willson Contreras heard it from the Fenway faithful after failing to run out a hard ground ball to third base in the eighth inning of Boston’s 7-3 loss to the Athletics.

Contreras hit a 100 mph grounder to Tommy White and made it about halfway down the first-base line before turning toward the dugout as White lobbed the throw across the diamond.

It wasn’t a good look, but interim manager Chad Tracy quickly came to the defense of his first baseman.

“I know how that looks,” Tracy said after the game. “But I’m also aware, more than others, that he’s a little beat up and told us before the game, ‘I don’t have everything today.’ So I’m fine. Especially with a guy that plays the game as hard as he does, and how hard he turns around first base all the time. I’m fine with him."

Contreras was playing for the first time in three days after dealing with an illness. He left Wednesday’s game after four innings and remained out of the lineup Thursday and Friday before returning Saturday.

“He hasn’t played in a couple days,” Tracy said. “His first day in there, I’m sure he’s probably a little fatigued. He’ll be fine.”

Contreras declined to speak with reporters after the game. He finished 1-for-5, collecting his lone hit with a single to center in the ninth inning.

The moment stood out largely because of how Contreras has played throughout his resurgent 11th major league season. The 34-year-old has been Boston’s most consistent hitter and one of its clubhouse leaders, batting .287 with a .929 OPS, 23 home runs, 18 doubles and 70 RBI in 106 games. His 23 homers are one shy of the career-high 24 he hit in 2019.

Ironically, the boos came one day after Contreras was named the Red Sox’ 2026 Heart and Hustle Award winner. The award recognizes players who demonstrate a passion for the game and embody its values, spirit and traditions.

Nobody wants to see a player fail to run out a ground ball, especially one in the infield. But considering Contreras had been sick and was playing for the first time in three days, the response from Red Sox fans Saturday felt a little harsh.

There also appears to be something going around the clubhouse. Masataka Yoshida will be out of the lineup Sunday after experiencing symptoms similar to what Contreras dealt with earlier in the week, Tracy told reporters. Regardless of the bug making its way through the clubhouse, one play shouldn’t erase everything Contreras has brought to the Red Sox this season.

Down on the Farm 

Romero Makes WooSox History

WooSox infielder Mikey Romero had a career day Saturday in Worcester’s 19-0 rout of Lehigh Valley, becoming the first player in franchise history to go 6-for-6.

Romero doubled, belted a two-run homer, drove in two and scored four times in the blowout victory.

The 22-year-old, Boston’s first-round pick in 2022, became the first WooSox player to collect six hits in a game and the first Red Sox Triple-A player to accomplish the feat since Michael Coleman had seven hits for Pawtucket on June 4, 1999.

At the big league level, only two Red Sox players, Rafael Devers in 2019 and Nomar Garciaparra in 2003, have recorded six hits in a game since 1982.

Ziehl Impresses in Triple-A Debut

Earlier this week, the Red Sox promoted No. 17 prospect Gage Ziehl to Triple-A Worcester, and the right-hander made a strong first impression Saturday.

Ziehl shut down Lehigh Valley in his WooSox debut, allowing just two hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out eight and generating 12 swings and misses.

Boston acquired Ziehl during the offseason in the trade that sent Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin to the White Sox. Before his promotion, Ziehl posted a 4.33 ERA and 1.35 WHIP with 96 strikeouts against just 18 walks over 81 innings for Double-A Portland.

The right-hander had been pitching particularly well before getting the call to Worcester, posting a 1.93 ERA over his final three starts with the Sea Dogs.

Futrell’s Command Continues to Stand Out

Devin Futrell continues to put together a strong season in the lower minors, relying more on command and pitchability than overpowering velocity.

The 23-year-old owns a 3.76 ERA, .233 opponents’ batting average and 1.08 WHIP over 17 appearances, including 13 starts, between Single-A and High-A. He has struck out 95 while issuing just 16 walks over 83 2/3 innings.

Futrell has also provided consistent length, pitching at least five innings in six of his last seven outings. He has completed six innings four times during that stretch, including one seven-inning start, an impressive workload at the High-A level.

Boston’s 10th-round pick in 2024 also pitched well following his promotion to High-A last season, posting a 1.09 ERA, .213 opponents’ average and 0.97 WHIP over 24 2/3 innings. Despite those numbers, the Red Sox sent him back to Single-A to begin 2026 before eventually promoting him again.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound left-hander isn’t going to overpower hitters with velocity. His fastball sits around 88-90 mph and remains the pitch with the most room for improvement, but he complements it with a 76-78 mph changeup, 74-77 mph curveball and 79-83 mph slider.

What makes the entire mix work is his command. Futrell consistently throws strikes, limits walks and has shown an ability to work deep into games despite lacking premium fastball velocity.

Gilman Could Be One to Watch

Jason Gilman was selected by the Red Sox in the 16th round of the 2025 draft after pitching at the Division III level.

The left-hander spent much of this season at Single-A, posting a 3.12 ERA, .188 opponents’ batting average and 1.22 WHIP over 15 appearances, including 10 starts. He struck out 83 batters in 60 2/3 innings, though his 34 walks show there’s still some command to clean up.

Gilman’s ability to miss bats stands out, even if the results have varied from start to start. He had one outing with 10 strikeouts and no walks, while in another he walked five and struck out five. Overall, he showed enough to earn a new challenge at High-A.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound southpaw features a fastball that has reached 94.4 mph in games and complements it with a curveball and changeup.

Gilman made his Greenville debut on Aug. 7, allowing three earned runs over five innings with two walks and seven strikeouts.

He isn’t currently ranked among Boston’s top prospects, but the strikeout numbers are intriguing. A strong finish with Greenville could put Gilman on the prospect radar heading into 2027.

Holobetz Continues Rapid Rise

John Holobetz has continued his quick climb through the Red Sox system since coming over as the player to be named later in the Quinn Priester trade.

The right-hander made his Triple-A debut on Aug. 4 and immediately impressed, allowing one run on four hits over 5 2/3 innings. He struck out six without issuing a walk and earned the win.

Holobetz has now made two starts for Worcester, posting a 0.93 ERA over 9 2/3 innings.

His promotion followed an impressive July in which he made five appearances, including four starts, and logged 23 innings. Holobetz posted a 2.74 ERA and 0.91 WHIP while allowing just 17 hits. More impressively, he struck out 32 batters while issuing only four walks.

Holobetz has moved quickly since joining the organization, and his combination of strikeouts, command and ability to provide length has carried over to Triple-A.

Bastardo Emerging as Bullpen Depth

Right-handed reliever Angel Bastardo was selected by the Blue Jays in the Rule 5 Draft prior to the 2025 season before eventually being returned to the Red Sox organization while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Since returning, Bastardo has flashed electric stuff, but everything seemed to come together during an impressive month of July.

The right-hander appeared in nine games and became one of acting manager Iggy Suarez’s most trusted bullpen arms. Bastardo posted a 2.45 ERA over 14 2/3 innings while holding opponents to a .137 batting average and recording a 0.48 WHIP.

The most impressive part was his command. Bastardo struck out 23 batters without issuing a single walk over those 14 2/3 innings.

After working his way back from Tommy John surgery, Bastardo's combination of swing-and-miss stuff and improved control has quickly put him into the conversation as a potential depth option for the major league bullpen should Boston need another arm down the stretch.

Rutschman Makes Strong First Impression in Worcester

Adley Rutschman picked up his first hit as a member of the Red Sox organization Saturday, reaching base three times in his first rehab game with Triple-A Worcester.

Rutschman went 1-for-2 with a two-run double, two walks and two runs scored while catching five shutout innings. The three-time All-Star, acquired from Baltimore at the trade deadline, has been on the injured list since July 20 with left wrist inflammation.

“[The wrist] felt good; I was very happy with how it’s been responding and feeling,” Rutschman told reporters at Polar Park. “I think in rehab games, they want to see you try and sprint a little bit, use the arm and throw the ball around; that’s always good. Just getting ABs and seeing pitches.”

The switch-hitter walked to lead off the first inning and eventually scored the game’s first run on an RBI single by Romy Gonzalez. After flying out to left in the second and drawing another walk in the third, Rutschman ripped a 104 mph two-run double down the right-field line in his fourth plate appearance.

Rutschman also made an impact behind the plate, throwing out a runner attempting to steal second to end the first inning.

There remains no firm timetable for his Red Sox debut, but Rutschman came away encouraged by how his wrist responded to his first game action.

“I don’t have an answer for you right now, but the wrist’s feeling good and I’m just hoping to keep progressing and hopefully in there sooner rather than later.”

Rutschman will leadoff and be the DH for the WooSox on Sunday afternoon. 

Schaffner, Hull Off to Hot Starts

The Red Sox wasted little time challenging their top two picks from the 2026 MLB Draft, sending Jake Schaffner and Owen Hull directly to High-A Greenville after the former North Carolina teammates signed their professional contracts.

So far, both have made strong first impressions to begin their careers.

Schaffner, the No. 20 overall pick, went 3-for-8 with four RBI and four runs scored over his first two professional games. Through five games, the 21-year-old infielder has added two doubles, six RBI and three stolen bases while posting an .863 OPS.

The early production follows an impressive college career. Schaffner earned two All-Summit League selections at North Dakota State before transferring to North Carolina, where he hit .356/.468/.552 with a 1.019 OPS in his lone season. He also stole 26 bases and displayed excellent control of the strike zone, drawing 45 walks against only 32 strikeouts.

Hull has been even hotter out of the gate.

The outfielder/designated hitter is 8-for-21 (.381) through his first five games with a home run, three doubles and eight RBI. He has also drawn three walks against only two strikeouts, good for a 1.107 OPS. Hull collected five hits in his first 10 professional at-bats.

Like Schaffner, Hull transferred to North Carolina after beginning his college career elsewhere. He posted a 1.035 OPS over 61 games at George Mason in 2025 before carrying that production to UNC, where he reached base at a .500 clip, posted a 1.115 OPS and drove in 87 runs.

Red Sox Add Undrafted Arm

The Red Sox signed undrafted free-agent right-hander Cam Padgett and assigned him to Single-A Salem.

Padgett pitched in 70 games during his career at North Carolina, including 11 starts, posting a 5-2 record with a 5.70 ERA. He also spent the summer of 2024 pitching for Bourne in the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Rob Parker Not Sold on Red Sox Turnaround

The Red Sox have captivated the baseball world with one of the most remarkable turnarounds of the season.

Boston’s surge has included an improbable 15-game winning streak and another nine-game run that was finally snapped Saturday against the Athletics. The Sox have gone from well below .500 to firmly in the American League playoff picture.

While plenty of national attention has followed, longtime sports analyst Rob Parker still isn’t convinced Boston can sustain its success.

“I respect the winning. I just don’t think they can keep it up,” Parker told Brian Kenny on MLB Network on Friday. “It’s impossible in baseball. They’ve done all of this to climb out of a hole. They’re in the mix now, whatever. One bad week can send this thing going the other way. They can’t keep winning at this clip.”

Kenny pushed back, noting that Parker previously predicted the Red Sox wouldn't reach the postseason.

“No one can win at this clip. However, they’re a playoff team,” Kenny said. “You said they’re not a playoff team when they were down and out. Look, I don’t know if I’d even fought you much on it. … They’re in the playoffs, Rob. They’re making the playoffs.”

Even after Saturday’s loss, FanGraphs gives Boston a 96 percent chance of reaching the postseason, including an 83.4 percent chance of securing a wild-card berth. Its odds of winning the AL East sit at 12.6 percent.

At 64-52, the Red Sox have firm possession of the AL’s second wild-card spot and sit only 1.5 games behind the Yankees for the top wild card.

Venable’s Mound Visit Mistake Forces Early Hook

White Sox manager Will Venable made a costly mistake Friday night during an important AL Central matchup against the Guardians, accidentally forcing himself to remove starter Noah Schultz in the first inning. 

Schultz was already laboring when pitching coach Zach Bove made a mound visit with the bases loaded. After Angel Martínez followed with a two-run single, Venable came onto the field intending to argue that a runner had missed third base.

The problem? Venable crossed the foul line, which counted as Chicago’s second mound visit of the inning. By rule, Schultz had to come out of the game after recording just one out.

"Just an inexcusable mistake by me," Venable said. "We had an appeal play that we wanted to execute, and in the urgency of trying to make that happen, just totally lost that we had visited, and obviously that was a mistake. So just messed it up. It was just on me. That's on me. Just a mistake by me, and one of those you've got to learn from. Can't happen, but it did, so move on from it."

Right-hander David Sandlin was forced into action earlier than planned. He had begun getting loose before Venable’s mistake but managed only about eight pitches in the bullpen before entering. Sandlin escaped the first inning before eventually allowing six runs over 5 1/3 innings.

Venable explained afterward that Schultz was scheduled for a shorter outing anyway as the White Sox continue managing the young left-hander’s workload, with Sandlin expected to provide bulk innings.

Still, Venable took full responsibility for the unusual mistake.

"It's a mistake," Venable explained. "But at the same time, as far as our game plan and what we had coming into the game, where at signs of trouble we were going to go short with Noah there and have Sandlin here for bulk there in the middle of the game, the impact on the overall plan wasn't significant. But certainly a mistake and something we've got to move on from."  

Around the League

- Max Scherzer added another milestone to his Hall of Fame résumé Saturday night, moving past Walter Johnson for sole possession of 10th place on MLB’s all-time strikeout list.

Scherzer entered the night needing four strikeouts to pass Johnson and recorded No. 3,516 by striking out Kyle Schwarber in the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park.

Johnson, who pitched for the Washington Senators from 1907-27 and was part of the Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 1936, finished his career with 3,515 strikeouts.

- Aaron Nola reached a milestone of his own Saturday, becoming the seventh active pitcher to record 2,000 career strikeouts.

The Phillies right-hander reached the mark in his 309th career game, putting him among some impressive company. Only nine pitchers reached 2,000 strikeouts in fewer games, with Nola matching Sam McDowell at 309.

Nola’s night later ended on a concerning note when he was struck in the right knee by a 104.8 mph comebacker during the sixth inning of Philadelphia’s 7-5 extra-inning loss to Toronto.

He was diagnosed with a right knee contusion, but X-rays were negative, providing some encouraging news for the Phillies.

- After the Red Sox’ win over the White Sox on Thursday, Aroldis Chapman received an unusual gift from a fan. Red Sox fan Andy Zides reached out to NESN sideline reporter Jahmai Webster with hopes of getting a piece of baseball history into Chapman’s hands, a vintage Bob Feller model glove from the 1930s. Webster helped facilitate the connection, allowing Zides to present the veteran closer with the nearly century-old glove.

- While the Athletics characterized general manager David Forst’s departure as a mutual agreement, the reality appears to be that he was fired. Forst was in the final year of his contract, and the A’s enter Sunday at 46-70 following a second-half collapse that has dropped them 13.5 games behind the first-place Astros.

- Former Red Sox infielder Marcelo Mayer is inching closer to returning to the field and making his Giants debut. San Francisco acquired Mayer from Boston at the trade deadline in exchange for left-handed reliever Erik Miller. The 23-year-old hasn’t played since June 25 because of a stress reaction in his left forearm.

The Giants don’t expect Mayer to need an extended rehab stint at Triple-A, opening the possibility that he could rejoin the big league club during its next road trip. That trip just happens to include a stop at Fenway Park, potentially setting up Mayer’s return to Boston less than two weeks after the Red Sox traded him.

- NESN play-by-play announcer Dave O’Brien has reportedly signed a two-year contract extension to remain the lead television voice of the Red Sox through the 2028 season, according to MassLive’s Sean McAdam.

O’Brien has served as NESN’s primary Red Sox play-by-play broadcaster since taking over for longtime voice Don Orsillo in 2016.

- Giants third baseman Matt Chapman is expected to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a sports hernia, likely eliminating any chance San Francisco could trade the veteran this winter. Chapman struggled offensively this season, batting .235 with seven home runs and 42 RBI. The 33-year-old still has four years remaining on the six-year, $151 million contract he signed with the Giants, making an offseason trade difficult even before the surgery.

- Reigning National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes hasn’t quite looked like himself in 2026, and his recent struggles have come at a difficult time for a Pirates team trying to reach the postseason for the first time in more than a decade.

Skenes allowed three runs over five innings against the Brewers on Wednesday, but the bigger concern was his command. The right-hander issued four walks, continuing an uncharacteristic stretch of wildness.

Over his last three starts, Skenes has allowed 16 runs in 19 1/3 innings while issuing 14 walks. He surrendered 13 runs over 14 1/3 innings with 10 walks in the two outings preceding Wednesday’s start.

The lack of control has been particularly surprising for Skenes and has played a significant role in a season in which the reigning Cy Young winner hasn’t been nearly as dominant as Pittsburgh has grown accustomed to since he was promoted.

- The Yankees added some catching depth this week, signing veteran Mitch Garver to a minor league deal after he was released by the Mariners.

Garver, 35, will report to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and give New York another experienced option behind the plate. The veteran struggled offensively with Seattle this season, batting .175/.302/.294 with four home runs in 50 games before being released. His work behind the plate also took a step back, with Garver ranking in the 17th percentile in pitch framing, according to Baseball Savant.

- Congratulations to Ozzie Guillen, who became the first manager in White Sox history to have his number retired Saturday night. Chicago retired Guillen’s No. 13 in honor of the longtime White Sox player and manager who led the franchise to its historic 2005 World Series championship, the club’s first title since 1917.