Red Sox Announce Plan For Tanner Houck’s Next Rehab Outing

The Boston Red Sox will tweak Tanner Houck’s usage in his next rehab outing.

Houck has made two abbreviated starts at Triple-A Worcester as he works his way back to Boston. The 2024 All-Star struggled in Tuesday’s last appearance, allowing three hits, two walks and four runs over 1 2/3 innings.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Friday, via MassLive’s Christoper Smith and the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, that Houck will take the mound for the WooSox on Sunday. This time, he’ll follow an opener out of the bullpen.

That doesn’t mean the Red Sox will use Houck accordingly in the majors. They’re seeking ways for the 28-year-old to rediscover his stuff during his rehab stint.

Houck entered last year’s All-Star break with a 2.54 ERA, but his 2025 started far worse. The former first-round pick surrendered 11 earned runs each on April 14 and May 12, torpedoing his ERA to 8.04.

Boston placed him on the injured list after the second 11-run start against the Detroit Tigers. Houck’s rotation replacement, Hunter Dobbins, is now sidelined with his own elbow strain.

The Red Sox also received bad news elsewhere on the rehab front. Kutter Crawford will likely miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on his throwing wrist following an off-field accident.

Boston could use an effective Houck back in the mix. Richard Fitts, who yielded two runs over four innings in Wednesday’s major-league return, will start in the meantime.

Kyle Harrison is another candidate to join Boston’s rotation. The 23-year-old southpaw, whom the Red Sox received from the San Francisco Giants in the Rafael Devers trade, allowed four runs with the WooSox on Thursday.