Red Sox vs. Mariners on June 18 was postponed, but Boston's injury woes worsen. With Houck, Hicks & Yoshida out, how will the team survive this crisis?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
The Fenway faithful were all set for a Wednesday night clash with the Seattle Mariners, but Mother Nature had other plans, postponing the game and giving the Red Sox an unexpected day off. While a rainout can sometimes feel like a welcome breather, for a team treading water at 38-37, this quiet day only amplified the loudest problem facing Boston: the ever-expanding list of names on the injured list.
With starters Tanner Houck, Jordan Hicks, and Kutter Crawford all sidelined, the Red Sox are navigating a pitching crisis that no rain delay can solve.
You almost need a spreadsheet to keep track of the injuries piling up. The pitching staff is getting hit the hardest. Both Tanner Houck (elbow, out until at least June 23) and Jordan Hicks (toe, out until June 24) are on the shelf, robbing the rotation of its top arms. As if that wasn't enough, Kutter Crawford's wrist injury will keep him out until at least July 4. The bullpen isn't safe either, with Hobie Harris (shoulder) and Jovani Moran (elbow) sidelined. On the offensive side, the absence of Masataka Yoshida (shoulder, out until at least June 30) leaves a significant hole in the lineup. It's a brutal stretch that will test the team's depth to its absolute limit.
The postponed game means the Red Sox remain stuck at 38-37, holding onto 4th place in a tough AL East. With no game played and no trades or roster moves announced on Wednesday, it was a day of stasis. Even the farm system offered little distraction, with top shortstop prospect Mikey Romero still nursing an injury and not expected back until at least June 19. For fans hoping for a spark—be it a big win, a trade, or a hot prospect—it was a day of waiting. The question now is, how long can the team afford to wait for its key players to get healthy before the season starts to slip away?
So what's next? The Red Sox will have to find a way to patch the holes and weather this storm of injuries. The postponement against the Mariners will likely lead to a doubleheader down the line, further taxing an already thin pitching staff. For now, all eyes are on the calendar, counting down the days until names like Houck, Hicks, and Yoshida can return. Until then, it's up to the next men up to keep this team in the fight.
