From Boston Red Sox On SI · · 3m
Crochet's Return: The Best and Worst It Could Go
Boston's ace is throwing off the Fenway mound again, and the next few weeks decide whether that helps or hurts.
In brief
Boston's ace is throwing off the Fenway mound again, and the next few weeks decide whether that helps or hurts. Crochet back in a short relief role is a real playoff weapon, but only if Boston lets the progression finish on its own schedule. Originally reported by Boston Red Sox On SI.
The ace is throwing again
Garrett Crochet hasn't pitched in a big league game since April 25, sidelined by shoulder and lat injuries. A late-season return is looking more real by the day.
Back on the Fenway mound
Crochet threw another bullpen on Friday, this one from the Fenway Park mound itself. That change of scenery is the clearest sign yet that this is a real push, not a maintenance session.
Twenty pitches, one big step
He tossed just over 20 pitches in the session. Small on paper, but it was a major step forward in a rehab that has been measured out in inches.
The sweeper came back
On top of the fastball, Crochet mixed in his sweeper for the first time in a bullpen. Getting every pitch back up to speed is the gate between throwing and pitching.
He won't promise anything
Asked whether he can get into a game before the playoffs, Crochet wouldn't commit. He said he's trending well and still has a long checklist left.
“I'm not sure. Trending well, right now. Have a lot more stuff to tick off.”
Why he stays vague
Crochet has learned that a missed timeline sounds worse than no timeline. His plan is to keep doing what the staff asks and let the results speak.
“Whatever I say to you guys and [then] I don't do it, then I look like a dumbass.”
Best case is simple
He returns before the season ends and makes a real impact on the playoff race. Nothing complicated about what Boston wants here.
A different job waiting
When he comes back it won't be in his usual starter role. The 7 2/3 innings he threw against the Yankees in last year's Wild Card round are not on the menu.
Two or three big innings
If the progression holds, Crochet coming in for two or three innings in a high-leverage spot is very possible. That alone changes how Boston can script a short series.
No tune-up is fine
Even if he never appears in a regular season game, that isn't cause for alarm. The only thing that matters is whether he looks like himself in October.
Worst case one: rushing him
Pushing the timeline hard enough to risk another injury would put the 2027 season in play. It's the less likely outcome, because Boston has said plainly it won't gamble with him.
Worst case two: rust
The likelier failure is simpler. He walks into a road Wild Card series against the Yankees after months away and gets hit hard right out of the gate.
Three games, no margin
A Wild Card series is three games long. One bad inning loses a game, and one loss puts you on the edge of going home.
A contender's gamble
Boston is built to win a World Series, and a healthy Crochet raises that ceiling. The whole question is whether the calendar gives him enough runway to be that guy.
Here's the gist
Crochet back in a short relief role is a real playoff weapon, but only if Boston lets the progression finish on its own schedule.
