Can we get some hand sanitizer in the Red Sox clubhouse please? Just as Willson Contreras came back from a bout with illness (one that he was still feeling the effects of even as he played over the weekend), another hitter went down. This time it was Masataka Yoshida. Contreras only missed two days so Masa will likely be back soon, but we better hope this thing doesn’t sweep through the lineup. (Miracle Dimwesh, Yahoo)
Let’s definitely keep Masa away from Adley Rutschman, who hopes to make his debut
this week against the Blue Jays. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at how the Rutschman trade went down, featuring the Zac Brown Band, Theo Epstein, and some welcome self-awareness from Craig Breslow: “How many good trades do you pass up in search of the perfect trade, only to find out that the perfect trade was never actually available?” Breslow said of the deal and the possibility that he may have “overpaid” in the eyes of many around the league. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
When Rutschman does return, the immediate focus will be on his health. But we’ll also need to keep an eye on how he’s integrating with the pitching staff. It’s very rare for a new number one catcher to join a playoff-bound team this late in the season. When it comes to learning how to handle Sonny Gray, though, Rutschman luckily will have at his disposal an entire library worth of notebooks that Gray maintains throughout the season to chart his performance. “He’s definitely cerebral,” Andrew Bailey said of Gray. “He’s well-prepared. He knows what he wants to do, what he does really well and his identity as a pitcher.” (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
Of course Rutschman is not here because of how well he handles a pitching staff. He’s here because he’s one of the best hitting catchers in baseball. The Sox lineup could use a spark, like the one Kyle Schwarber provided when he came over at the 2021 trade deadline. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)
There is an obvious parallel between 2026 and 2021 given that both seasons saw the Sox trade for injured stars at the deadline, but it’s the Morgan Magic season of 1988 that 2026 echoes the loudest. Morgan, now 95 years old, still watches from his home in Walpole, specifically, he watches from the room he was able to build in his house because of that magic run. (Steve Buckley, The Athletic)
But not every Boston baseball manager is having success right now. Keith Foulke just left his position as manager of the Boston Hunters of the brand new Women’s Professional Baseball League, which is hosting its inaugural season in Springfield, Illinois. While it’s unclear whether Foulke was fired or left on his own terms, the move came after just 3 games and only 30 minutes prior to the Hunters’ most recent matchup. Needless to say, there’s probably some kind of story here… (Lauren Campbell, MassLive)
