The 2025 season was a disastrous one for Tanner Houck, but Boston Red Sox fans didn't know it was going to end up being this bad. The right-hander had an 8.06 ERA in nine starts before landing on the IL in mid-May, and now, it's been confirmed that he's not only out for the remainder of this season, but likely all of next as well.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora revealed that Houck will undergo Tommy John Surgery sometime soon. Sure, there's a small chance that Houck can conceivably return by the end of 2026, but in all likelihood, he'll miss the entire season.
Tanner Houck will undergo Tommy John surgery, Alex Cora says.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) August 2, 2025
This is a brutal blow for Houck, no matter how you slice it. The right-hander was an All-Star for the Red Sox last season, and looked like a fixture in Boston's rotation for years to come. This season, he was practically unusable when he was able to pitch, and now, it's anyone's best guess as to whether he'll even have a rotation spot by the time he's back and ready to go.
With Houck expected to miss most, if not all of the 2026 campaign, here's a look at what Boston's starting rotation might look like.
Projected Red Sox rotation without Tanner Houck highlights trade deadline failure
The Red Sox acquiring Joe Ryan was always a pipe dream, but their inability to acquire a single starting pitcher with additional club control, like Sandy Alcantara or MacKenzie Gore, really sticks out here. Dustin May is a somewhat decent upside gamble for Boston to have taken, but he's a free agent at the end of the year. The same can be said for Walker Buehler, whose $25 million mutual option will almost certainly be declined.
Boston's projected rotation beyond ace Garrett Crochet leaves a lot to be desired.
Red Sox Rotation Order | Pitcher |
|---|---|
1 | Garrett Crochet |
2 | Brayan Bello |
3 | Lucas Giolito |
4 | Patrick Sandoval |
5 | Kutter Crawford |
Brayan Bello has pitched well, but are we really sure he's a No. 2 in a World Series-caliber rotation? I'm certainly not sold yet. Lucas Giolito has pitched well, and exercising his $14 million club option looks like a slam dunk right now, but that option might not even be there for Boston. If Giolito pitches at least 140 innings, which is extremely possible, that $14 million club option becomes a $19 million mutual option. There's a very real chance Giolito hits free agency and walks, but for now, let's assume he's back.
Rounding out the rotation are a pair of pitchers who have combined to throw as many innings as I have this season. Patrick Sandoval might return this season, coming off Tommy John Surgery, but that's up in the air. He's set to make $12.75 million next season, though, so the Red Sox will likely give him a rotation spot when he's healthy. As for Kutter Crawford, he was a solid back-end starter for Boston last season, but he probably won't pitch at all this season as he continues to try and come back from wrist surgery.
I'd say Breslow will add a high-end No. 2 starter to pitch behind Crochet because he really needs to do so over the offseason, but he also had to do that at the trade deadline and failed to deliver. Red Sox fans can only hope that Houck's injury adds a sense of urgency for Breslow to improve what looks like a subpar rotation beyond Crochet on paper.