Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet has missed the overwhelming majority of the 2026 season, but there's a chance he could return to the ballclub in time for the playoffs. The twist is that it would come as a reliever. Of course, he's done that before -- just not with the Red Sox.
Crochet has been shut down due to left shoulder inflammation since late April. He finished second in AL Cy Young voting last season after a stellar debut with the Red Sox, his first after signing a six-year contract extension worth $170 million. He was an All-Star starter for the White Sox in 2024, too, but he pitched in relief in his first three MLB seasons for the South Siders.
"Someone brought it up the other day. They were like, isn't that crazy? I'm like, not really," Crochet told the Boston Globe. "I mean, not [to be all] me, me, me, me, but I've done crazy things before. I'm not Joe Schmoe. I've done impressive things. I think that that would be a big ask for some people, but I don't think it's a crazy ask for me."
Now, he's not ready to rejoin the Red Sox just yet. Crochet is set to throw another bullpen session on Tuesday and he was reportedly hitting high-80s with his fastball in his previous session. That's a far cry from him sitting 96, as he averaged last season.
"There's going to be a time where I need to step on it," Crochet said of the velocity. "First bullpen, not the time."
As for the scheduled session on Tuesday, the plan is for 20 pitches.
"If he gets through that and feels good, we'll figure out the next step," said interim Red Sox manager Chad Tracy (via MassLive). "I'm sure there could be a live BP here (at some point), but we're just not there. Once we get through that, we'll kind of decide what's next for him."
The Red Sox have a set rotation right now and hold the second American League wild card at 80-65. As noted, Crochet is building toward being a surprise playoff addition. He'd be quite the X-factor in a bullpen that already figures All-Star Aroldis Chapman as the closer.
Boston this season has gotten by with a rotation that includes Sonny Gray, Payton Tolle and Ranger Suarez.
Crochet last season for the Red Sox was 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA (160 ERA+), 1.03 WHIP and 255 strikeouts in 205 ⅓ innings. He led the majors in strikeouts and the AL in innings. In six starts this season, he has a 6.30 ERA and though he wasn't having a good season -- by his lofty standards -- that number is heavily skewed by him allowing 10 earned runs in just 1 ⅔ innings on April 13.
