The [Boston Red Sox](https://nesn.com/boston-red-sox) have dealt with more injuries than most teams in Major League Baseball for much of the season, which is part of why they haven't played well at times.
Had the Red Sox been healthy, they'd easily be one of the best teams in baseball, at least record-wise.
Among the players who have been injured, right-handed reliever Justin Slaten is currently on the IL with an elbow issue.
It remains unclear when Slaten will return, as he was placed on the IL 18 days ago. According to the latest, it doesn't sound like Boston really has any plans to bring him back in the immediate future. He's still dealing with elbow soreness, and Chad Tracy said they have no plans of ramping him up.
“Until we feel like there’s complete resolution of symptoms, we’re not going to ramp him up,” Tracy [said](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/02/sports/red-sox-adley-rutschman/) of Slaten, per the Globe.
This is the second time Slaten has been injured during the campaign, but when he's healthy, he's been a nice arm for Boston for much of his career. Making his debut during the 2024 campaign, he posted a 2.93 ERA in 55.1 innings.
The 28-year-old owns a 3.03 FIP in 31.1 innings this season as well, showing that he can be a valuable piece to the Red Sox's bullpen come October.
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