The Red Sox reinstated Houck (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Sunday. He will start Boston's regular-season finale against the Cubs.
Houck will return to make a lone big-league appearance in 2026 on the final day of the regular season after completing his long recovery from hybrid UCL reconstruction surgery. The right-hander made four minor-league rehab appearances in September, most recently completing 3.1 innings on 42 pitches for Triple-A Durham on Sept. 19. Houck will likely be operating with a limited workload Sunday and may not work deep enough into his start to qualify for a win.