The Boston Red Sox are playing the best baseball in the American League right now. Twelve straight wins. A record that finally sits above .500 at 49-48. A team that has gone from afterthought to wild-card contender in the span of three weeks.
Saturday’s 7-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays extended the streak behind Wilyer Abreu‘s go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh inning. The energy at Fenway Park has completely transformed from where it was earlier this season, and the players have fed off every bit of it.
The rotation has been a driving force behind the surge, even while being short-handed. Now there is a notable update on when the Red Sox get a key arm back.
Key Arm Tracking Toward Return
Ranger Suarez is closing in on a return to the rotation, and the timeline could be sooner than expected.
Suarez has been sidelined since July 5 with a strained left groin. His minimum 15-day IL stint is set to expire Tuesday, when the Red Sox open a series against the Baltimore Orioles. A start that night remains possible, though the team could also opt to wait until the Toronto Blue Jays series over the weekend after Thursday’s off-day.
Obviously, things are going a lot better,” interim manager Chad Tracy said.
The fact that Suarez never fully shut down his arm matters. He was throwing at Fenway before Saturday’s game, working through his progression in light rain while the rest of the team prepared inside. Because his time off the mound was brief after the initial injury, no rehab stint is required.
He can step right back on the mound whenever the Red Sox decide he is ready.
The All-Star break absorbed a significant chunk of his time on the IL. If Suarez takes the ball Tuesday, the groin strain will have cost him just one turn through the rotation.
GettyRanger Suarez of the Boston Red Sox.
What It Means for the Pitching Staff
Getting Suarez back first is the priority, but he is not the only piece moving.
Brayan Bello remains available as a long reliever, built up enough to start if needed. His schedule has been uneven since being moved out of the rotation, with just one appearance over the last 16 days.
Connelly Early, who went down with left elbow inflammation shortly after Suarez, has progressed to throwing from 90 feet. He trails Suarez on the comeback path, but the progress is real and visible.
Payton Tolle is lined up to pitch Monday or Tuesday depending on when Suarez gets activated, giving Tracy another option during a stretch where every game counts.
GettyBoston Red Sox players, including Connelly Early #71, second from left, Payton Tolle #70, Roman Anthony #19 and Garrett Crochet #35 stand along the dugout rail during the eighth inning of their 6-5 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park on May 24, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
Final Word for the Red Sox
Twelve straight wins moved the Red Sox into the final AL wild-card spot heading into the trade deadline. Every game between now and then matters.
Suarez adds a proven arm to a staff that has already been among the best in baseball during this run. No rehab stint required. No extended buildup. Just a date on the calendar.
That date is coming this week.
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