Garrett Crochet’s return cannot come soon enough for the Boston Red Sox. The 26-year-old left-hander has been the face of this pitching staff since arriving in Boston, and his absence has come at a difficult time for the Red Sox, who sit dead last in the American League East.
Crochet was placed on the 15-day IL on Wednesday , with left shoulder inflammation, an issue he’s been dealing with since spring training. While he played through it, Boston decided the smarter move was to shut him down before the problem got worse.
Crochet subsequently underwent an MRI, which came back showing inflammation but no structural damage, per manager Chad Tracy.
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That was an encouraging first sign of things to come and ahead of the team’s series finale against the Houston Astros, Boston Globe’s Tim Healey reported another positive update.
On Sunday, Crochet was cleared to play catch for the first time after his brief no-throw period. The early signs remain positive, though Healey noted that the Red Sox continued to preach caution and patience throughout his recovery process.
Getting Crochet back matters enormously as the Red Sox are currently navigating a depleted pitching staff. Despite carrying a 6.30 ERA through six starts this season, Crochet remains the most trusted arm in this rotation by a significant margin. In 2025, he went 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA and a league-leading 255 strikeouts across 32 starts, finishing as AL Cy Young runner-up.
He is eligible to return as early as May 10 and could hit the mound during Boston’s home series against the Philadelphia Phillies the following week. In the meantime, the Red Sox host the Astros on Sunday with first pitch set for 1:35 p.m. ET at Fenway Park, looking to clinch the series and build some momentum heading into the week ahead.
