Garrett Crochet Makes Important Step for Potential Postseason Return

Red Sox lefty Garrett Crochet, who has been out since April, threw a live batting practice at Fenway Park on Tuesday.

by Ezra Lombardi

Sep 22, 2026

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Fenway Park.

Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox are just one week away from Game 1 of a highly anticipated American League Wild Card Series rematch at Yankee Stadium.

Last season, it was left-handed ace Garrett Crochet who took the ball for Game 1, delivering a dazzling 7.2 innings where he allowed just four hits, one run, and struck out 11 with no walks as Boston claimed a 3-1 win. This year, it’s still unknown which Red Sox starter will toe the rubber opposite of Cy Young favorite Cam Schlittler in the Bronx, but it most certainly will not be Crochet, who has missed almost the entire season after an April shoulder injury.

Crochet, who remains on a fierce rehab campaign to get back in time for the postseason, could still impact the series as a reliever. On Tuesday, he took what could be the final and most crucial step toward doing so as he threw his first live batting practice on the Fenway Park mound.

Crochet threw 16 pitches against rehabbing outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, with his fastball sitting in the 94-96 mph range. This comes a few days after he threw a two-inning side session at Polar Park in Worcester, working his velocity up to around 92 mph.

While this lower velocity raised some eyebrows, Crochet had indicated earlier in his rehab process that full game intensity likely won’t come until he actually ends up in a game situation. Tuesday’s results should ease this concern slightly as the numbers ticked up in a potential last BP before coming back to big league play.

The 27-year-old lefty was pleased with his performance, telling Chris Cotillo of MassLive “I felt like, with the way that went, I could go and get outs.”

Still, Crochet tempered expectations for a return and admitted that the decision is up to the front office brass, not him.

“For me to take a spot on the roster, then someone would have to lose one, and I would feel bad doing that because this team’s pitched their ass off the whole season,” he told Tim Healey of The Boston Globe.

There is clearly some risk that comes with reintroducing a pitcher of Crochet’s caliber back into the biggest possible stage this late in the season. Aside from potential rust, the Red Sox could be risking the long-term health of the arm they just recently locked up to an extension through 2032. But it’s the postseason, and if he and the club feel good about his health and ability to pitch effectively, it is an obvious move to get him involved in a bullpen role, something that he has experience with from his time in Chicago.

Losing Crochet for most of the season was a huge blow for the Red Sox, but as he indicated on Tuesday, the starting rotation has stepped up in his absence and given the team a real chance for an October run. Now, the expected ace could repay the favor by bringing some dominant outings in relief of this unit.

The next steps are TBD, and while it’s unlikely Crochet sees any game action before the postseason, it is possible that they deploy him at some point over the weekend against the Cubs to get him comfortable in what will ultimately be meaningless games for the Red Sox. The team will have to see how he responds to Tuesday’s session, but all signs continue to be positive for an exciting boost ahead of the Yankees series.