Spencer Schwellenbach (elbow) aiming for September return

In his press conference, Breslow mentioned that Crochet felt some initial discomfort in his shoulder back in April, but the Red Sox reviewed his medicals and decided it was best to take a long-term approach to his rehab. Specifically, Breslow said the team focused on strengthening Crochet’s shoulder, not simply getting him healthy enough to pitch in 2026, but hoping to withstand any further injury in future seasons. That also meant changes to his posture and mechanics to smooth over any residual issues that had built up from the shoulder discomfort. The team feels that he is fully healthy heading into the offseason, and there’s a chance his shoulder is now healthier than it was in 2025.

Benintendi will hit fifth and be the designated hitter, while Tristan Peters will bat sixth and play center field. Both of them were out for Game 1 against left-handed starter Parker Messick. While Benintendi never entered the game, Peters replaced Randal Grichuk when the Guardians went to the bullpen and went 1-for-2 with a single. Brenton Doyle and Tommy Pham will head to the bench for Game 2.

Antonacci was not in the lineup for Game 1 with the Guardians throwing left-hander Parker Messick, and he mentioned after the game that he was eating an ice cream cone when Munetaka Murakami hit his game-deciding home run. Antonacci will replace Randal Grichuk in the lineup on Monday, and Chase Meidroth, who hit leadoff in Game 1, will move down to eighth in the order.

Johnson pitched to a 5.88 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, and 40/20 K/BB ratio in 33 2/3 innings for the Athletics this season. He should be fully recovered by Spring Training.

Naylor underwent triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) repair surgery on his right wrist on October 3rd and is expected to be fully recovered before the start of Spring Training. The 29-year-old hit .261 with 10 home runs, 57 RBI, 58 runs scored, and 30 steals this season with just a .667 OPS. Naylor has a career .756 OPS and hasn’t been at .700 or below since 2021, so the wrist injury could have a lot to do with his struggles this season.

Raleigh underwent a left shoulder acromioclavicular (AC) debridement procedure at the University of Washington Medical Center on October 3rd. There was no real indication of when the shoulder injury happened or how/if it hampered his production. We knew Raleigh dealt with an oblique injury during the season, but perhaps he was struggling through more than that. The 29-year-old slashed 182/.296/.368 slash line with 49 runs scored, 23 homers, 69 RBI and two steals in 126 games in 2026. He could be a decent bounce-back candidate at a depressed cost in fantasy leagues in 2027, given his injuries this season and previous power production.

Lowe sat in Game 1, but even with left-hander Anthony Kay on the mound, the Guardians will turn to him to man first base. Lowe entered Game 1 after left-hander Hagen Smith was removed from the game and went 1-for-2 with a walk. His insertion in the lineup will move Angel Martinez to sixth in the order.

We assume the primary topic was Contreras’ locker room comments after the Game 2 loss to the Yankees, where he insinuated, pretty strongly, that the Red Sox were far too reliant on data to make decisions for the team. Tracy has been roundly criticized for his decision to pull both Payton Tolle and Sonny Gray after just 4 2/3 innings in each of the games. As a first-year manager, Tracy could use the experience and the subsequent meeting with Contreras as a learning experience heading into 2027.

Normally, we’d be happy that a player doesn’t require surgery; however, Anthony took three months to rest his hand this season and then reaggravated his injury during the final game of the regular season. Hopefully the longer layoff in the offseason will produce more healing, but this will certainly cloud his outlook heading into 2027. If Anthony does return healthy and is able to play a full season for the Red Sox, he could be one of the bigger bargains in fantasy baseball next year.

The 20-year-old middle infield prospect had a strong 2026 season after a down year in 2025. In 65 games in High-A Francisca hit .277/.356/.538 with 17 home runs, 49 RBI, and 11 steals. He was then promoted to Double-A for the final five games of the season. He will likely begin 2027 in Double-A as well and seems unlikely to debut next season. However, he is becoming a name to keep an eye on.