Boston Red Sox
Crochet pitched out of the bullpen with the White Sox for multiple seasons before being traded to Boston.
Garrett Crochet returning to the Red Sox’ starting rotation in 2026 seems unlikely. AP Photo/Abbie Parr
August 7, 2026 | 6:35 PM
3 minutes to read
The Boston Red Sox have a 31-5 record since June 25 in what has been a stretch of ridiculously dominant baseball.
After finding themselves in the basement of not only the American League East, but the entire A.L. not too long ago, it’s been difficult to fathom how nearly flawlessly they have played over the last month-plus.
In a sea of mind-numbing stats, totally unbelievable comeback wins, consistent hitting from the lineup, and a rock-solid pitching staff since losing a series against the bottom-dwelling Colorado Rockies in late June, keep in mind that the Red Sox have turned their season around without their ace: Garrett Crochet.
Crochet, who finished second in A.L. Cy Young Award voting last season, hasn’t pitched in a game since late April after experiencing left shoulder inflammation. He’s experienced setbacks in his lengthy recovery since landing on the injured list.
The 26-year-old southpaw even suffered lat tightness in May after throwing a simulated game, adding an entirely separate injury from his shoulder problem to the mix.
That lat strain has kept Crochet off the mound for Boston ever since; his shoulder ailment has since cleared up. Only this week did he begin throwing short toss from 50-60 feet, the first significant, and positive, update in his progress since May.
Red Sox fans grew fond of Crochet in 2025 for his consistently impressive outings on the bump as the club’s ace. He led MLB with 255 strikeouts, threw an A.L.-most 205.1 innings of work, and amassed a 2.59 ERA in his first year in Boston.
But prior to his time with the Red Sox, Crochet spent significant time in the Chicago White Sox’ bullpen. He pitched five games in relief after debuting down the stretch in 2020, made 54 appearances out of the ‘pen in 2021, missed 2022 due to injury, and relieved 13 games in 2023 before becoming a full-time starter for the White Sox in 2024. The switch majorly upped his trade value; Boston sent four prospects (Chase Meidroth, Braden Montgomery, Kyle Teel, and Wikelman Gonzalez) back to Chicago in exchange for Crochet in December 2024.
His bullpen experience may not be simply a thing of the past — there’s a chance Crochet could pitch out of the bullpen for the Red Sox in 2026 due to his drawn-out injury rehab.
Interim manager Chad Tracy downplayed the idea of Crochet pitching upwards of six innings in a single outing this year, which suggests there’s low confidence in the player’s ability to complete the ramp-up process to return as a starter between now and the end of September.
On Thursday, Tracy told reporters it’s “probably not feasible” (via MLB.com‘s Ian Browne).
However, Tracy didn’t rule out Crochet joining Boston’s shutdown bullpen as a way for the hurler to contribute to its magical 2026 season.
“If he’s healthy and right, and he looks like Garrett Crochet, I think we’d be foolish not to consider that,” Tracy said.
Unsurprisingly, Crochet, a team player and leader, said he was open to returning to his previous form as a reliever in 2026.
“There’s no ego about it. It’s something I’ve done before,” Crochet said. “If there’s any way possible I can help this team achieve the goal we set out in spring training, the goal that every team sets out to achieve, if I could help us achieve it, I don’t really care what the role is.”
Crochet said he isn’t sure when he might make his return, but he’s confident he’ll be able to throw meaningful pitches for the team.
He noted it won’t be his decision when he returns and what his role would look like if he does pitch this year.
“That ultimately comes from [chief baseball officer Craig Breslow] and the rest of the front office. When it comes to throwing programs and buildup, I don’t know how many innings I’m going to be able to build up to,” Crochet said. “I haven’t taken a true formal look at the throwing program. Honestly, that’s still up in the air. That’s not really in my court.”
Crochet had a tough start to the season before being sidelined. In six starts (30 innings), he posted a 6.30 ERA and .270 opponent batting average. However, the strikeouts were there. He struck out 37 batters (11.10 K/9) before getting injured.
If Crochet were to rejoin the team in 2026 and his well-documented ability to strike batters out continued, his presence would be a big addition to a bullpen that’s been relied on heavily during the Red Sox’ thrilling stretch.
“I’ve been on the sidelines for three months, and they’ve been killing it, and it just makes me hungrier and hungrier to want to join and just contribute, because these guys have stepped up and posted all year. It’d be nice to help,” he said.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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