Sonny Gray Set to Return Wednesday Against Tigers
sonny gray is set to rejoin the Red Sox rotation on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers after a right hamstring sprain sent him to the 15-day injured list. The 36-year-old is expected back without a rehab start, giving Boston a veteran arm at a time when its rotation has been stretched by injuries.
Gray’s return in Detroit
Gray is lined up for the series finale and last pitched on April 20, when he faced the Tigers at Fenway Park. His return comes after a brief absence rather than a long buildup, with the Red Sox planning to put him back into the rotation immediately.
Chad Tracy said Tuesday, “Right now, all things point toward Sonny starting,” and added, “We’re going to talk more about it after the game, but we’re heading in that direction.” That puts the decision squarely on Gray’s side of the matchup, with Boston prepared to use him if his body responds the way the club expects.
Rotation pressure on Boston
Gray’s absence hit a staff that had already taken on damage. Garrett Crochet and Ranger Suárez have also dealt with injuries since Gray went on the injured list, and Boston has not placed Suárez on the injured list, leaving him as a candidate to start this weekend. That gives the club a thin set of choices behind its established arms.
The Red Sox signed Gray as one of their key offseason additions, so his first stretch in Boston has carried more weight than a simple midseason fill-in. Through five games, he posted a 4.30 ERA with 13 strikeouts, a line that shows he was still working through the adjustment before the hamstring issue paused him.
Jake Bennett and the next layer
The ripple effect has reached the club’s younger arms, including rookie starter Jake Bennett. With Gray back in line for Wednesday, Boston can keep one experienced starter in the mix while deciding how to manage the rest of the rotation around the injuries that have piled up early.
For the Red Sox, the practical change is straightforward: Gray’s return reduces the need to lean so heavily on inexperienced options in the short term. If he gets through Wednesday as planned, Boston can use the series finale in Detroit to steady a rotation that has been forced to absorb too much too soon.
