Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman (44) walks off of the field after being taken out of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Red Sox fans have one major concern after series win over Dodgers

By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 6:49 PM ET

The Boston Red Sox won their series against the defending World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, but fans are crossing their fingers that the impressive victory did not come at a cost.

The Red Sox took two out of three games from the Dodgers with their 4-3 win at Fenway Park on Sunday. Alex Bregman hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Boston's bullpen was lights out after starting pitcher Walker Buehler allowed three earned runs over 4 2/3 innings.

Not everything went the Red Sox's way, however. Closer Aroldis Chapman came on to pitch in the eighth, and he issued back-to-back walks to Miguel Rojas and Mookie Betts. Chapman then got Shohei Ohtani to fly out before the left-hander was removed from the game.

Chapman was accompanied by a trainer as he walked gingerly off the field.

Aroldis Chapman has been pulled after 3 batters. Control was all over the place and his velo was down. Last thing this bullpen needs. pic.twitter.com/86VqT0xu7H
— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) July 27, 2025

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters after the game that Chapman experienced tightness in his back. Cora said he is hopeful Chapman will not have to go on the injured list.

Chapman also downplayed the issue and said he was dealing with back spasms. He does not expect to miss significant time.

Red Sox nation, take a sigh of relief. Aroldis Chapman on being taken out of the game:

"Just a spasm that should be gone in a couple days." pic.twitter.com/Ra4AHkcOi2
— NESN (@NESN) July 27, 2025

Even if Chapman winds up being fine, the ailment is a reminder that the Red Sox need to bolster their bullpen ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.

Chapman has been Boston's best reliever this season. He has a 1.30 ERA across 45 appearances and has struck out 61 batters across 41 2/3 innings. His 0.82 WHIP is the lowest mark of his career since 2012.

The Red Sox are fighting for an AL wild-card spot, and Chapman is the most important piece of their bullpen. If they intend to make a postseason run, they should focus on adding another arm in the coming days, regardless of the extent of Chapman's injury.

Steve DelVecchio

Steve is a veteran writer who has covered a variety of sports and pop culture topics for more than 15 years. In addition to Yardbarker, his work has been featured on prominent digital publications including Larry Brown Sports, MSN and FOX Sports. The UConn graduate has published more than 40,000 stories and is one of the most experienced trending news writers in the country

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