Alex Cora Makes Notable Admission About Rehabbing Red Sox Pitcher

The Boston Red Sox must decide where to send a recovering starting pitcher after the All-Star break.

Tanner Houck’s 30-day minor league rehab assignment expired Thursday. Boston must activate the 29-year-old from the injured list, but he might not immediately return to the majors.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora acknowledged Friday, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith, that the team could option Houck to Triple-A Worcester.

Houck morphed into one of Boston’s most reliable starters last season, authoring a 3.12 ERA in 178 2/3 innings. He’s regressed substantially in 2025, posting an 8.04 ERA in nine turns.

Most of that damage occurred in two disastrous outings. Houck surrendered 12 runs to the Tampa Bay Rays on April 14 and 11 more to the Detroit Tigers on May 12, his last big league appearance before getting sidelined with a right flexor pronator strain.

Houck also struggled during his rehab stint, allowing nine runs in his first three outings spanning 6 1/3 frames. Yet he recovered to pitch five scoreless frames for Double-A Portland before allowing one run over 4 1/3 innings for the WooSox on July 9.

Boston’s rotation could use another stabilizing presence behind Garrett Crochet, Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello. Walker Buehler has a 6.12 ERA, and Hunter Dobbins suffered a season-ending ACL tear last week.

The Red Sox could stick with Richard Fitts, who has a 4.28 ERA in eight starts and tallied his first career win before the All-Star break. Bringing Houck back to the big leagues could also help them determine how to navigate the pitching market before the July 31 trade deadline.