The 2026 Red Sox schedule is here. And here, if you want to print it out. The team has its season bookended with NL Central opponents, which doesn’t exactly feel right. They head to Cincinnati on Thursday, March 26th, for a three-game season-opening set, and host the Cubs at Fenway the final three games of the season, which ends on Sunday, September 27th. The home opener is also against a National League team, as the Padres are in town beginning Friday, April 3rd.
The four Yankees series are scheduled
for earlier next year, with 9 of the 12 games occurring before June ends. The first series will take place at home from April 21-23. Their longest road trip (July 3-12) is one that heads into the All-Star Break, but only one of those series is out west (@LAA, @CWS, @NYM). Coming out of the break, the Sox play nine straight games at home against AL East opponents (July 17-26).
Finally, if you’d like to pay tribute to Rafael Devers, good or bad, he’ll make his first visit to Fenway with the San Francisco Giants in a late August weekend series, the 21st through the 23rd.
There was a time when the depth in the Red Sox rotation was so strong that they moved Quinn Priester to Milwaukee for minor-league assets. Now, with Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Hunter Dobbins out for the season, and Richard Fitts out indefinitely, that depth is being tested significantly. Fitts has right arm neuritis, but according to Ian Browne, “the good news is that early indications are that the injury is confined to the biceps and the nerves surrounding it, and not the ulnar collateral ligament in Fitts’ right elbow.” Alex Cora did not rule out Fitts returning this season. Jovani Moran was recalled to take Fitts’ spot, while the team evaluates who their starter will be on Saturday.
Many are hoping that top pitching prospect Payton Tolle will get that Saturday start at Fenway. Tolle is scheduled to throw on Thursday for Worcester at the moment. Cora said, “We haven’t talked about that, but there’s guys available down there who I think can do the job here at the big league level.” Kyle Harrison could be another option, as the team kept his pitch count at 38 over three innings on Tuesday.
Rob Refsnyder (oblique) and Justin Slaten (shoulder) could both return as early as today. Wilyer Abreu (calf) will not return this week.
(Christopher Smith, Mass Live)
Kylie McDaniel ranked the MLB farm systems, 1 through 30, and has the Red Sox coming in at 14th. Of course, the team’s top three prospects graduated since the start of the season, when they ranked 4th on Kylie’s preseason list.
