Boston Red Sox
Crochet is not any closer to returning to the mound after last pitching on April 25.
Garrett Crochet has not pitched in a game since April 25. Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe
The hits keep on coming for the 2026 Red Sox.
Speaking to Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe, Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet said that he isn’t any closer to returning from an extended stint on the injured list, with a lingering lat strain far worse than initially projected.
Crochet told Abraham that the lat strain — which has hindered several attempts at ramping up his return to the mound — “is a lot worse than what we thought.”
When asked by Abraham when Crochet thinks he’ll be cleared to at least play catch — a minor step forward in his recovery process — the lefty said, “I have no idea.”
It’s another brutal development for a Red Sox team that has played most of this underwhelming 2026 campaign without the 2025 AL Cy Young Award runner-up in Crochet.
Crochet has not pitched in a game since April 25, with Boston initially placing the 26-year-old southpaw on the IL with what was deemed as shoulder fatigue.
It looked as though Crochet was making progress after pitching a simulated inning on May 26, but was later shut down just a few days later with what the team initially deemed as a “mild” lat strain.
Clearly, that wasn’t the case for Crochet, who has seemingly not made any progress back from his prolonged absence.
“Feels like a very minor setback. It [stinks] to even call it a setback. It doesn’t feel like it even deserves that title,” Crochet told the Globe’s Tim Healey on June 1. “Just trying to make sure that when I do return to play, that I’m there for the rest of the year.”
Now, it remains to be seen just when exactly Crochet will be back for a Red Sox team that currently sits 12 games under .500 at 27-39 after Wednesday’s loss (and series sweep) at the hands of the Rays.
This marks the first time the Red Sox are 12 games under .500 in June since 1997.
Crochet’s health — who was 3-3 with a 6.30 ERA at the time of his injury — stands as one of several brutal setbacks for Boston this season.
Roman Anthony — sidelined since May 4 due to a wrist injury — is also not any closer to returning after experiencing discomfort while swinging a bat earlier this month.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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