The Boston Red Sox got the sweep over the Angels on Sunday. They probably would trade the win to have Ranger Suarez healthy heading into the second half.
Boston finished off a three game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 7-5 win at Angel Stadium, but the story of the day was Suarez leaving the game with two outs in the third inning. The Red Sox announced left adductor tightness, and the initial word from the clubhouse was not encouraging.
“With that pitch that I threw, I felt a big pinch around the groin area,” Suarez said through an interpreter, via ESPN. “I tried to throw another pitch, but I still felt it, so I came out.”
You never like to hear a pitcher say the word “pinch.” That is a self diagnosis that suggests something more than routine tightness.
Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy did not try to sugarcoat the concern. Tracy told reporters he was worried when he watched Suarez come out and said the team would know more Monday. That is coach speak for “we do not have great news yet.”
“You’re always concerned,” Tracy said. “Anytime you see that, you are concerned. We’ll have a better idea tomorrow.”
Tracy also would not commit either way on whether Suarez would land on the injured list. The reality is that adductor and groin injuries in pitchers can range from a day to day tweak to a full six week absence, and it is impossible to know without more testing.
Losing Suarez even for a short window would be a real hit for the Red Sox rotation. He signed with Boston in the offseason after his final Phillies contract expired, and he has been exactly what the team needed. His 2026 line is a 3.15 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP over 17 starts, with a 4-3 record that undersells how well he has pitched.
Sunday’s numbers before the injury were the roughest stretch of his season. Suarez surrendered three earned runs on six hits in 2.2 innings, walking nobody and striking out five on 53 pitches. If the groin was already bothering him early, that would explain why his stuff played down.
The Red Sox rotation was already trying to hold together. Tanner Houck has had inconsistent starts. Brayan Bello is back on track but not dominant. Lucas Giolito has been steady but is not a top of the rotation ace. Suarez has been the guy at the top of the group, and any absence would force everyone else to carry more.
Boston is right in the middle of the American League wild card conversation and needs its rotation intact for the second half push. Losing Suarez even briefly could end up costing the team a series or two, which in a tight wild card race is a real problem.
The next update will come Monday when Suarez arrives at the ballpark. If he can back off, ice down, and rejoin the rotation on schedule, the Red Sox will breathe a big sigh of relief. If this needs an MRI and a stint on the IL, things are about to get complicated fast in Boston.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
