The Red Sox finally got the Garrett Crochet update they had been waiting nearly three months to hear: he was back on a mound.
Crochet threw 16 pitches in a bullpen session Friday at Camden Yards, according to USA TODAY’s Gabe Lacques. It was his first time working off a mound since his recovery from shoulder inflammation hit a setback in May. That doesn’t mean Boston can pencil him in for the rest of the season, but it does put him back in play with only a few weeks left on the regular-season schedule.
Interim manager Chad Tracy said the next day will tell the club plenty about where Crochet stands.
“The fact he got on the mound today and threw is a really good sign,” Tracy told reporters Friday. “How he comes in tomorrow will be an important piece of it. Does he feel any lingering effects that will slow him down or will he feel really good and can proceed?”
That follow-up matters because Crochet’s road back has already been interrupted once. He hasn’t pitched for Boston since April 25, when he worked six scoreless innings against the Baltimore Orioles.
Shoulder soreness landed him on the injured list soon after. He had initially advanced to mound work in May before being shut down again, which is why the Red Sox are being so careful now.
If the shoulder responds well, Boston could move him to another bullpen session, live batting practice or even a rehab assignment. The timeline is tight, but Tracy left the door open.
“The goal is to get him, by the end of the season, out there, if he can,” Tracy said.
The version of Crochet Boston is chasing is the one that made him one of the most dominant arms in the sport last year. He posted a 2.59 ERA and led the majors with 255 strikeouts over 205 1/3 innings in 2025, finishing second in American League Cy Young Award voting. This season has been a different story in a tiny sample, with a 6.30 ERA across six starts.
Even if Crochet returns, the Red Sox may not have enough time to stretch him back out as a normal starter. That could push them toward a shorter role, and there are a few ways that might work. He could be used as a multi-inning reliever, matched up against a pocket of left-handed hitters or asked to bridge a few innings after a starter.
Boston also got good news on another front. Tracy said Tanner Houck completed a simulated game and is expected to start a rehab assignment with Double-A Portland on Tuesday. Houck, who underwent Tommy John surgery in 2025, likely would return as a reliever.
Johan Oviedo, out since April with a flexor tendon strain, also could begin a rehab assignment soon.
“As you get beat up and you need help, having guys of that caliber of big league talent, if you can get them there, it would be important down the stretch,” Tracy said.
None of those reinforcements are guaranteed yet. But Crochet taking the ball again is real progress, and now the Red Sox wait to see how his shoulder answers back.
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