Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck set for rehab appearance with Sea Dogs
Red Sox prospect Tanner Houck set to make rehab appearance with Portland Sea Dogs
Boston, Sept. 5 — Boston Red Sox left‑hander Tanner Houck will return to the mound for a short stint with the Portland Sea Dogs, the organization’s Double‑A affiliate, this Tuesday night. The former first‑round pick is on a careful path back to the majors after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow last year.
Houck hasn’t taken a mound in a game at any level since May 12, 2025, when he was sidelined by elbow pain. The pitcher, who has appeared in 113 games for the Red Sox since his MLB debut in 2020, had the surgery in August of last year. After a rehab start with Portland on July 4, 2025—where he tossed five scoreless innings, issued no walks and struck out four batters—he has been gradually building his arm strength.
According to reports from the Boston Globe and the team’s official site, Houck will pitch one inning for the Sea Dogs at Delta Dental Park, Hadlock Field, as the club opens a six‑game series against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at 6 p.m. local time. The appearance is part of a structured comeback plan designed to re‑acclimate him to competitive pitching.
Houck’s career has been marked by both promise and adversity. He earned an All‑Star selection in 2024, compiling a 9‑10 record and a 3.12 ERA over 30 starts and 178 ⅔ innings. The following season saw his workload cut to nine starts, and his ERA ballooned to 8.04. In 2019, before rising through the minor‑league ranks, he posted an 8‑6 record and a 4.25 ERA in 17 games (15 starts) for the Sea Dogs.
The Red Sox organization will closely monitor Houck’s performance during the inning and adjust his rehabilitation schedule accordingly. If the recovery proceeds as planned, the lefty could be back in Boston’s rotation earlier in the season than initially expected.
For now, the Sea Dogs will look to the rehab pitch as a positive sign of the Red Sox’s long‑term arm health strategy and a hopeful glimpse of the future of one of their top pitching prospects.
