At this rate, the Red Sox might need more trainers than pitchers. As Fenway’s injury list stretches longer than a rain delay, manager Alex Cora once again found himself delivering updates that felt more like eulogies than progress reports. While fans were still digesting the Marcelo Mayer scare, Cora tossed in names like Liam Hendriks and Patrick Sandoval—because apparently, Boston doesn’t believe in bad news coming alone.

Most of the fans were not happy with the business made by the Red Sox during the trade deadline. But it is looking pretty good now, isn’t it? After the news of Mayer’s injury, the Red Sox just lost two more pitchers, and the pitching department is not having a good time.

In a recent media interaction, skipper Cora said that Hendriks might be done for the season. “Now it’s more about taking care of his body, you know? To be honest with you, I don’t know if he’s going to impact the team this year, the rest of the season, so we’ll see. But he’s upbeat. He feels better physically, so that’s positive,” he told the reporters. To make it worse, the news about Sandoval is almost similar.

When the Red Sox took fliers on Hendriks and Sandoval, they knew patience was mandatory. Both pitchers arrived with injury baggage and uncertain timelines, gambled on with short-term deals and long-term hope. Hendriks, recovering from Tommy John and elbow issues, is now sidelined by a re-aggravated hip. Sandoval, who once flashed with the Angels, has stalled entirely—reduced to playing catch after a failed bullpen return.

Rehab hasn’t just slowed for these two—it’s reversed course, forcing Boston into contingency mode by necessity. Hendriks felt discomfort when ramping up, while Sandoval “wasn’t moving like before,” per the manager. These aren’t just physical setbacks—they’re signs that the comeback clock may be broken. Even with age on their side, neither pitcher looks remotely close to competitive action this season.

Neither Hendriks nor Sandoval was a marquee buy, but their regression makes Boston’s rotation roulette even riskier. That’s why the team acted, investing in higher-upside arms like Dustin May and Steven Matz as insurance. May’s velocity and Matz’s durability—when healthy—offer more present value than two stalled rehabs. The Red Sox aren’t just planning for October—they’re preparing for survival. While rivals stockpile reliability, Boston’s front office is left crossing fingers and refreshing medical charts. October dreams don’t survive on “maybes,” and right now, their pitching staff is running on hope, duct tape, and denial.

Joe Ryan could’ve redefined the Red Sox game — So why did the deal flatline?

At some point, the Red Sox will need to decide if ambition is a strategy or just a slogan. Joe Ryan wasn’t just available—he was the type of pitcher you rearrange your future for. Yet somehow, Boston blinked. In a week where elbows, hips, and rehab logs ruled the headlines, the front office had a shot to rewrite the narrative. Instead, they passed the pen to someone else.

The Red Sox made a high-stakes push to acquire Twins ace Ryan at the deadline. On paper, the move looked bold—Ryan, a 29-year-old righty, had the arsenal to anchor Boston’s shaky rotation. But despite all the smoke, there was no fire—Minnesota held firm, and the deal unraveled. Ken Rosenthal called the team’s efforts “feeble,” sparking a heated debate over what really happened behind closed doors.

Contrary to earlier claims, the Red Sox did put real chips on the table. According to Rob Bradford, Boston offered top-tier prospects like Franklin Arias, Jhostynxon Garcia, and Payton Tolle—two of whom ranked in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100. Arias, a 19-year-old shortstop, sits at No. 33 overall and leads Boston’s farm. Tolle and Garcia, power pitcher and slugger, rounded out a package that was anything but weak.

Had the Twins accepted, Ryan could’ve flipped Boston’s postseason fate on its head overnight. With injuries plaguing the rotation, his command and strikeout game offered rare, instant stability. Instead, Boston kept their youth and earned a scarlet letter for hesitation. Now, what could’ve been a season-defining splash reads more like a cautionary tale.

In the end, Boston’s front office talked big but blinked bigger. For all the chest-thumping about flexibility and fearlessness, they folded at the table where aces are dealt. Ryan wasn’t a luxury—he was a necessity in a rotation held together by KT tape. Now, instead of a playoff push, the Red Sox are stuck with potential and PR spin. Turns out, you can’t win games with theoretical ambition.