Garrett Crochet is back in the mix for Boston at the perfect time, and the Red Sox are wasting no time putting him on the wild-card roster.
After a five-month stint on the injured list, Crochet is finally ready to return. He has not pitched since April 25 because of left shoulder inflammation and a low-grade lat strain, but the plan is for him to come back in a bullpen role rather than jump straight back into the rotation. That lower-leverage assignment should make it easier to work him back in without asking for too much too soon.
Boston opens a crucial AL wild-card series against the Yankees on Tuesday, with Cam Schlittler matched up against left-handed rookie Payton Tolle. Crochet will be available for that game, giving the Red Sox another left-handed option in a group that already includes six other southpaws.
The upside is obvious. Crochet brings a mid-90s fastball and gives Boston another high-end arm to pair with relievers like Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock. For a bullpen that needs depth, that matters.
The question, of course, is how sharp he’ll look after such a long layoff. Command can be the first thing to go when a pitcher has been out for months, and that’s why Boston is keeping him in a short-relief lane for now.
Still, this isn’t unfamiliar territory for Crochet. Before becoming a starter, he worked out of the bullpen for the Chicago White Sox from 2020 to 2023, posting a 2.71 ERA with 85 strikeouts in 73 innings. And in the postseason against the Yankees, he’s been effective, allowing one run on four hits with 11 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.
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