The Boston Red Sox have been hit hard by the injury bug this season, with significant absences from key players like ace Garrett Crochet and outfielder Roman Anthony. The team has faced its fair share of criticism, but it's worth noting the uphill battle they've been fighting without their top pitcher and primary offensive force for nearly two months.
On the mound, the Red Sox were prepared for some turbulence. They started the season with a deep pool of elite starters, a strategy that has paid off as injuries have piled up, including Crochet's.
However, the offensive side of the roster hasn't been as resilient. Boston's offseason didn't bring much additional firepower, forcing the team to lean heavily on young talent stepping up-a gamble that hasn't left much room for error, contributing to their offensive struggles.
The absence of Crochet and Anthony continues to loom large, with no clear timeline for their return. Despite this, the Red Sox's rotation has been on a roll, delivering nine consecutive quality starts, highlighted by Payton Tolle's impressive performance on Friday night.
Still, the team misses the presence of Crochet, who was a runner-up for the American League Cy Young Award in 2025. After beginning his recovery, Crochet was setback by a lat strain, halting his progress.
In a recent conversation with Chris Cotillo from MassLive.com, Crochet shared his hopes of moving from plyometric training to throwing actual baseballs soon, providing insight into his current status. "I hope to have a ball - a real baseball - in my hand here soon,“ Crochet mentioned. He explained that while he's been throwing weighted plyo balls, the transition to baseballs is part of a cautious recovery protocol.
Crochet's early season was a mixed bag, with a 6.30 ERA over six starts, but he showed flashes of brilliance, such as his six shutout innings against the Orioles on April 25. Last year, he boasted a 2.59 ERA in 32 starts during his debut season with Boston.
The Red Sox are eager for his return, and Crochet's progress during the team's road trip is a positive sign. Fans and teammates alike are hopeful that he'll be back to throwing real baseballs and contributing to the team's success in the near future.
In Other News...
Red Sox Fans Have Just One Reason To Feel Better About This Trade
The Red Soxs swap with Milwaukee sent left-hander Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton and Shane Drohan out the door in exchange for third baseman Caleb Durbin, a deal that was always going to be judged by what Boston got back at the hot corner. For much of the 2026 season, Durbin looked like another player who was hard to get excited about, but his recent uptick has given the Red Sox at least a little reason to think the move might not age as badly as it first seemed.
Even so, the larger picture is still murky. Durbins rebound has come after a long rough stretch, and his overall production remains light enough that Boston cant call the trade a clear win yet. Hamilton, meanwhile, has not done much to change the Brewers end of the deal, which leaves this looking less like a finished evaluation than a bet the Red Sox are still waiting to cash in. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Rookie Lefties Just Made A Real Statement Vs Yankees
What Boston got from its rookie left-handers against the Yankees went beyond a couple of promising outings. Jake Bennett worked into the seventh inning for the first time in his professional career, and the young trio of Bennett, Payton Tolle and Connelly Early has given the Red Sox a run of innings that looked a lot more polished than raw, helping extend the clubs streak of quality starts to 10 in a row.
The bigger takeaway is how quickly that group has stabilized things against a division rival that usually exposes inexperience. Bostons rotation has not only kept turning in quality work, it has done so at a historic clip for the franchise, and the rookie lefties have been a big part of why the Yankees series felt less like a test of survival and more like a statement of depth. What comes next for those three will tell us plenty about whether this is a flash or a foundation. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Just Sent A Troubling Signal About Their Deadline Direction
Three straight wins over the Yankees offered a needed jolt, but they have not changed the larger math facing the Red Sox. Boston is still 11 games under .500 and five games back in the American League Wild Card race, which is why every move leading into the trade deadline has taken on extra weight for a club trying to decide whether to push forward or start looking ahead.
According to an anonymous major league executive cited by Sean McAdam, the latest read on Boston is that rival teams are hearing more about selling than adding. The deadline is just over a month away and comes on Aug. 3, so the next few weeks should clarify whether the Red Sox are still weighing offensive help or have already shifted into a different mode entirely. [Read more 🡒]