MLB Notebook: Chad Tracy has Red Sox pointed toward the postseason, Rafael Devers closing in on history

It’s the time of year when Major League Baseball has to share the stage.

All eyes turn toward the NFL’s Week 1 schedule on Sunday, and rightfully so. Baseball may still be America’s pastime, but football, at least the American version, dominates the airwaves 24/7.

After the ball kicks off at 1:00 p.m., the Red Sox still have some business to take care of first.

Boston will wrap up its series against the Royals at 3:05 p.m. Sunday at Fenway Park. First pitch was originally scheduled for 1:35, but Mother Nature isn’t exactly cooperating, with heavy rain moving across Massachusetts.

After Sunday, the Red Sox will have Monday off before embarking on their final road trip of the regular season. They’ll open a three-game series Tuesday in Texas against a Rangers team whose postseason hopes are hanging by a thread, (OK, they’re still two games out of the final spot), before heading to the Trop for a showdown with the first-place Rays, who have already punched their ticket to October.

For Boston, the destination is becoming increasingly clear, get healthy before heading into the Wild Card round. 

The Red Sox enter Sunday 8 1/2 games out of first place and 4 1/2 behind the Yankees for the top spot in the wild-card hunt. Barring a dramatic shift over the final two weeks, Boston appears headed to the Bronx for the American League Wild Card Series, where it would have an opportunity to avenge last October’s postseason loss to New York.

The fact that we’re even discussing postseason pitching alignments and a potential October trip to Yankee Stadium would have sounded far-fetched a few months ago.

One reason for all of that has been the emergence of interim manager Chad Tracy.

Plucked from Triple-A Worcester after Alex Cora was fired in April, Tracy inherited a team that eventually sank to 14 games under .500 before authoring one of the more memorable summer turnarounds in recent Red Sox history. Boston ripped off a 15-game winning streak and later added another nine-game run, pulling an entire region back into a season that once appeared headed nowhere.

Now, I don’t want to offend any longtime Red Sox fans by pointing out a little potential history here.

In 1988, the Red Sox turned to another interim manager, Joe Morgan, and “Morgan Magic” was born. Boston won its first 12 games under Morgan and 19 of its first 20, a remarkable wave that carried the Sox to the American League East title and the postseason.

That team and that run will forever hold a special place for many Red Sox fans, and I’m certainly not trying to take anything away from what Morgan accomplished. 

Morgan’s tenure actually began with a rainout. The following night, Roger Clemens struck out 16 as the Red Sox swept a doubleheader against the Royals, and Boston took off from there.

Nearly four decades later, maybe this group has experienced a little bit of the “Tracy Touch.” ....Ok, seriously, that’s a working slogan, but, stay with me here. 

Tracy stepped onto one of baseball’s biggest stages with a collection of coaches from within the organization and somehow got everyone pulling in the same direction. Veterans bought in and young players were given opportunities to grow. Players who had spent much of their careers bouncing between Triple-A and the majors found meaningful roles.

Sox regulars and former WooSox stars' Nick Sogard, Mickey Gasper, Tyron Guerrero, Anthony Seigler, Andruw Monasterio all have benefited under the Tracy at the helm.

Tracy has taken his lumps along the way. He’s made questionable decisions, as every manager does, and there have been nights when things haven’t worked. But through all of it, he has managed to keep a roster of veterans, young players and organizational depth pieces moving in the same direction.

That direction now appears to be aimed straight toward the Bronx.

OK, the corny play on words aside, what the Red Sox accomplished this summer is something fans will remember for a long time. Morgan had his magic in 1988 and now Tracy and the 2026 Red Sox have created something distinctly their own and opportunity to truly make their summer run memorable. 

Before Boston can think seriously about doing that, however, it needs to get healthy.

The Red Sox have occasionally looked like a team in a self-driving car over the past couple of weeks, cruising along and checking games off the schedule while waiting for October. The standings have afforded them that luxury to an extent, but the more important countdown now involves the players trying to work their way back.

Willson Contreras is back with the Red Sox on Sunday after spending the weekend rehabbing with Double-A Portland, but his stint with the Sea Dogs hasn’t gone without some drama.

During an at-bat Saturday night, Contreras asked for additional time to apply pine tar to his bat. When the home plate umpire wouldn’t grant it, Contreras returned to the box and essentially left the bat on his shoulder.

It was the baseball equivalent of taking your ball and going home. It wasn’t a great look for the veteran, particularly considering there have already been a handful of moments this season when his attitude has come into question.

Contreras has been one of Boston’s best hitters, and there’s no questioning how important his bat is to the lineup. But that also comes with expectations as he’s a veteran on a young team preparing for postseason baseball. Giving away an at-bat because he was frustrated with an umpire isn’t something you want to see and I don’t particularly care that it happened during a minor league rehab assignment. There's an expectation for baseball players to be professional and even more so for established big leaguers rehabbing at a minor league affiliate. 

Look, ultimately, the Red Sox need Contreras' bat in the lineup and his excellent glove at first base. They also really need a healthy and fully engaged Contreras. With October approaching, his focus needs to be on helping a young group navigate postseason baseball and potentially make a deep run, not allowing frustration over something as trivial as pine tar to become the story.

Red Sox fans continue to keep a close eye on Garrett Crochet, hoping the left-hander can work his way back in time to provide another weapon for the postseason.

Crochet took another step toward a potential return Friday, throwing approximately 25 pitches off the Fenway Park mound and incorporating his sweeper for the first time during his latest progression. His fastball sat around 92.5 mph, according to Tracy, and he is expected to throw another side session Tuesday.

But Crochet knows better than most how quickly progress can turn into another setback. In May, he threw live batting practice believing the shoulder soreness that initially landed him on the injured list was behind him. Instead, left lat tightness surfaced and eventually forced him to shut things down for a month, beginning a frustrating stretch that has kept him off a big-league mound for months.

“I just come in every day with desire and do whatever’s on the board that day,” Crochet said. “I tried really hard to get back this year. Going back to the last time I threw the live, thought I was close, and it was pretty depressing to see that that didn’t work out and then being fully shut down for a month.

“I’m just excited to be throwing again, excited that there’s even potential for me to get back out there again.”

There isn’t much runway left before the postseason, and the Red Sox aren’t putting a firm timetable on Crochet’s return. But another bullpen session Tuesday represents another box to check.

At this point, anything Crochet could provide in October would be a bonus. The possibility of adding that type of arm to an already deep postseason bullpen is enough to make every step of his progression worth watching.

Tanner Houck is another pitcher who could factor into Boston’s October plans.

Houck, who underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2025, showed improvement Friday during his second rehab appearance with Portland. The right-hander allowed one run over three innings, striking out four and walking one while throwing 48 pitches.

His upcoming week is expected to resemble the previous one. Houck will make a shorter relief appearance Tuesday with Worcester before potentially getting stretched out again a few days later.

With Worcester’s season nearing its conclusion, the Red Sox will then have to determine whether Houck needs another appearance or is ready to rejoin the major league club, either on the road or when Boston returns home. Again, the question isn’t whether Houck can be built back into a traditional starter before October. There simply isn’t enough time. It’s whether his stuff can give Tracy another useful arm in a postseason bullpen.

Do you remember Johan Oviedo? You know, the forgotten man of the Red Sox pitching staff hasn’t given up on 2026.

Oviedo returned to Fenway on Saturday, reconnecting with teammates he hadn’t seen in months while continuing what remains a long-shot attempt to pitch again this season.

The right-hander has appeared in just one game this year and has missed more than five months with a strained right flexor/elbow. Much of his rehabilitation has taken place in Fort Myers, but he’s scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Worcester on Thursday, just days before the minor league season ends.

The calendar is working against him even more than it is Crochet and Houck, but simply getting Oviedo back into game action would represent significant progress.

Then there’s Ceddanne Rafaela.

Rafaela has been on the injured list since early September with a quad strain, leaving another hole in a Red Sox lineup that hasn’t been at full strength down the stretch. Getting him back with a healthier Contreras would give Tracy considerably more flexibility heading into October. Rafaela’s defense alone changes the complexion of Boston’s outfield, while Contreras adds another established bat to the middle of the order.

And that’s really what these final two weeks are about. The Red Sox have already done the hard part, they've resurrected a season that appeared lost, survived a turbulent summer and put themselves in position to play postseason baseball.

Now it’s about getting there in one piece and with Contreras in Boston's clubhouse on Sunday and Rafaela on the horizon, it would lengthen the lineup. If Crochet can make it back, he could add another potentially significant weapon to the pitching staff. Anything Houck or Oviedo can contribute would only deepen the options available to Tracy.

The Red Sox don’t need another massive winning streak right now, I guess it couldn't hurt to be rolling into October, but more importantly, they need to get healthy, get their key players dialed back in and make sure the team that arrives in the Bronx is as close to full strength as possible. Then we’ll find out whether the Tracy Touch has one more run left in it.

The Big 4-0?

I’ll spare everyone from revisiting the history of why Rafael Devers is no longer a member of the Red Sox. We’ve been down that road enough.

But what Devers is doing now in San Francisco deserves some attention.

With 13 games remaining, Devers has 37 home runs, just one shy of his career high, putting 40 squarely within reach. That would carry some significance in San Francisco since no Giants hitter has reached 40 since Barry Bonds blasted 45 in 2004.

Then there’s Devers opportunity to knock in 100 RBI. The slugger enters the final stretch with 98, leaving him on the doorstep of becoming the Giants’ first 100-RBI hitter since Buster Posey drove in 103 runs in 2012. Yes, the same Posey who eventually brought Devers to San Francisco.

Devers' offensive explosion in the second half has changed the conversation from the first half.

His slow start created plenty of noise, including questions about whether the Giants had made a mistake taking on the enormous financial commitment that came with acquiring him. Those questions only became louder when Kyle Harrison, originally sent to Boston in the Devers deal, took off after eventually landing in Milwaukee. He’s since come back down to earth and looks like a completely different pitcher than he was at the start of the year. 

Devers’ response has essentially been the same one he’s provided throughout his career… he keeps hitting until everyone stops talking. And that’s pretty much what has happened again in the Bay Area. 

His second-half surge has quieted much of the criticism, and he’s now threatening to finish his first full season in San Francisco with numbers that could stand alongside some significant names in Giants history. Devers has been particularly dangerous lately, blasting 11 home runs over an 18-game stretch. The last Giants hitter to accomplish that was Tyler Fitzgerald two years ago. The last to hit 12 over an 18-game span? Bonds in 2001-02.

Devers is under contract through 2033 at $28.5 million per season, so this was never supposed to be a short-term relationship. And the Giants may already be seeing the beginnings of another important one developing around him.

Rookie Bryce Eldridge has settled into the lineup behind Devers and has thrived in that role, batting .344 with 10 walks and 18 RBI since becoming a regular presence behind him in late August.

There will be lineup considerations to navigate, particularly with two powerful left-handed bats hitting consecutively. But that’s a problem San Francisco will gladly take if Devers and Eldridge become the middle-of-the-order combination the Giants envision for years to come.

For now, though, there are 13 games left and Devers has his sights set on blasting 40 homers in a season while eclipsing the 100 RBI mark. After everything that surrounded Devers over the past year, he’s got a chance to put a pretty impressive exclamation point on his season.

Around the League 

- Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s time in Arizona has come to an abrupt end.

The Diamondbacks designated the veteran outfielder for assignment Sunday, ending a tenure that included an All-Star appearance and an important role in Arizona’s surprising run to the 2023 World Series. Rookie infielder Jose Fernandez was recalled from Triple-A Reno in a corresponding move, the team announced. 

Gurriel arrived in Arizona alongside catcher Gabriel Moreno before the 2023 season and immediately became an important part of the lineup. He earned his first All-Star selection while hitting a career-high 24 home runs with a .772 OPS, then added three homers and 11 RBI during the Diamondbacks’ postseason run.

He subsequently signed a three-year, $42 million deal to remain in Arizona, which included a $14 million club option for 2027.

But injuries have derailed Gurriel since tearing his ACL in September 2025. The 32-year-old didn’t make his 2026 debut until April 18 and later required two additional trips to the injured list because of a left hamstring strain and right adductor strain. Limited to 51 games, Gurriel produced a career-worst .544 OPS with only two home runs. Now, less than three years after helping Arizona reach the World Series, the Diamondbacks have decided to move on.

- Kenley Jansen entered Sunday with 495 career saves, the most among active pitchers, putting one of baseball’s biggest milestones within reach. Jansen has a chance to reach 500 before the end of the season. If not, the chase could carry into 2027.... baseball permitting.

- Carlos Correa could have a new position waiting for him when he returns from surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left ankle. The Astros are expected to move Correa to second base, allowing Isaac Paredes to remain at third while Jose Altuve serves as the designated hitter.

- Cam Schlittler has emerged as the favorite for the American League Cy Young Award. He entered Sunday leading the AL with a 2.01 ERA while ranking second in innings (178 2/3), strikeout-minus-walk rate (25.4%) and FIP (2.61).

- Former Red Sox pitching prospect David Sandlin will make his fourth career start and sixth major league appearance Sunday. The right-hander has been particularly tough on right-handed hitters, holding them to a .114 average (4-for-35) with 13 strikeouts through his first five appearances. Sandlin went 4-0 with a 2.22 ERA over 65 innings before reaching the majors, holding opponents to a .201 average.

- Royals rookie Carter Jensen isn’t just putting together an impressive season, he’s beginning to rewrite parts of the franchise record book.

Jensen’s solo homer around Pesky’s Pole on Saturday was his 24th, tying Bob Hamelin’s 1994 Royals rookie record. It also marked Jensen’s 12th consecutive hit that went for extra bases, breaking Hal McRae’s franchise record of 11 from 1977.

According to Elias, the streak also surpassed Aaron Judge’s 2017 mark for the longest by a rookie in the Expansion Era and Sean Murphy and Dustin Garneau for the longest by a catcher over that span.

- The Reds have been outscored 56-15 on their current road trip, with the 56 runs allowed since Monday representing Cincinnati’s most over any five-game span since surrendering 59 from June 8-12, 1949. Friday’s 20-0 loss in Milwaukee was Cincinnati’s MLB-leading 16th shutout loss of the season. It matched the second-largest defeat in franchise history and represented the largest shutout loss the Reds have ever suffered.

- The Rays entered Sunday with an opportunity to add to an already impressive number. A victory would give Tampa Bay its MLB-leading 15th series sweep of the season.

- Cardinals rookie catcher Leo Bernal has wasted little time making an impression. Through his first 11 career games, Bernal established Cardinals records with 13 RBI and five separate games with at least one RBI. His 13 hits also tied Nelson Burbrink (1955) and Tom Nieto (1984) for the most through 11 games by a Cardinals rookie whose primary position was catcher.

- The Dodgers are calling up top prospect Josue De Paula directly from Double-A, according to multiple reports Wednesday, with The Athletic first reporting the move.

De Paula is expected to receive opportunities at designated hitter after Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced Shohei Ohtani will be placed on the injured list. The 21-year-old De Paula is ranked as the No. 6 prospect in baseball and the game’s highest-rated outfield prospect. He spent the entire 2026 season with Double-A Tulsa, batting .303/.401/.547 with 27 home runs in 588 plate appearances. De Paula also showed off his speed, stealing 31 bases in 123 games.

- Kevin McGonigle continues putting together a rookie season rarely seen in Tigers history. McGonigle hit his 17th homer Saturday, giving him 17 home runs, 26 doubles, 63 RBI and 91 runs scored. He’s only the second Tigers rookie in the franchise’s 126-season history to reach each of those marks, and the first in 97 years, joining Dale Alexander in 1929.

- ESPN’s Jeff Passan believes Dodgers ace Tarik Skubal could command nearly double the seven-year, $245 million contract Stephen Strasburg received from Washington, assuming MLB does not implement a salary cap.

 -Teruaki Sato could be one of the offseason’s most intriguing international names if the Hanshin Tigers post him as expected. The 27-year-old third baseman is hitting .320/.398/.636 with 35 homers and 92 RBI in 122 games and could become the first reigning NPB position-player MVP to jump to MLB since Hideki Matsui in 2003.

- Corbin Burnes returned from Tommy John surgery Tuesday after a 15-month absence and threw three scoreless innings for Arizona. The right-hander has four years and $140 million remaining on his contract, making an opt-out after the season unlikely despite his return.

- Browns star cornerback Denzel Ward has purchased a minority stake in the Guardians, the team announced Wednesday. He joins Chiefs tight end and Cleveland-area native Travis Kelce, who bought a minority stake in the club in May.

- The WooSox will play their final homestand of the 2026 season this week, and if you haven’t made it out to Polar Park yet, I highly recommend checking it out. There’s also a little something for wrestling fans. WWE superstar Carmelo Hayes will be a special guest during the homestand and will be available for photos with fans. Unfortunately, Hayes will not be signing autographs.