Garrett Crochet Nears Red Sox Return, Potentially Ahead of Playoff Showdown with Yankees

Garrett Crochet, the sidelined left-handed ace for the Boston Red Sox, has taken a significant step toward returning to play, throwing at 96 mph during a live batting practice session on Tuesday. Crochet expressed confidence that he can contribute to the team during the postseason, potentially setting up another playoff confrontation with the New York Yankees.

While the Red Sox have established starters this season, Crochet's health has been a question mark. He has been on the injured list since April with left shoulder inflammation, last pitching in an MLB game on April 25. Before his injury, Crochet had a 6.30 ERA through six starts, allowing 33 hits and five home runs in 30 innings.

"The way that… just went, I could go get outs," Crochet told the Boston Globe. "It depends obviously what role they want me in. I know myself and I know my body, and the biggest thing was that I felt good out there. Felt like I was able to ramp up intensity to a place that I haven’t gone yet. Tomorrow is going to be a big deal, seeing how I recover."

The Red Sox appear to be on a potential collision course with the Yankees for a second consecutive Wild Card series, although Boston has not yet clinched the No. 5 seed. The outcome of the AL Central battle between the Guardians and White Sox could impact Boston's seeding.

Last postseason, Crochet was a key figure for the Red Sox, earning second place in the AL Cy Young voting. He dominated the Yankees in Game 1 of their Wild Card series, striking out 11 batters and allowing only one run in 7 2/3 innings. However, the team struggled in subsequent games, with pitcher Brayan Bello lasting only 2 1/3 innings in Game 2 and rookie Connelly Early pitching just 3 2/3 innings in the decisive Game 3.

This year, the Red Sox boast a rotation including lefties Peyton Tolle, Ranger Suarez, and Jake Bennett, alongside right-hander Sonny Gray, providing multiple options to match up against opponents. The team's decision on how to utilize Crochet in the postseason, given his extended layoff and the presence of other capable starters, remains uncertain.

Red Sox manager Chad Tracy acknowledged Crochet's progress but emphasized the need to monitor his recovery. "Again, it’s ‘see how he feels tomorrow.’ I know that there’s a lot of conversation around that because we’re only a week away from the postseason now," Tracy said, according to the Boston Globe. "So determining how does he feel coming out of that [and] what does this weekend look like is going to be the next step."

Tracy added that any decision regarding Crochet's role would prioritize his well-being. "I just know that whatever it is, it’s going to be done with Garrett’s best interest in mind, making sure that we’re doing it right," he stated.

Crochet himself indicated he would defer to the front office's decision, expressing that he would feel remiss to displace another player. With the regular season concluding Sunday, the Red Sox face a challenge in providing Crochet with game action before the playoffs, leaving them to potentially rely on his readiness based on his recent live batting practice performance. Tracy noted the team is carefully considering the potential risks and benefits of his return. "We have to consider it and just be very, very mindful of, again, what are we potentially exposing him to and what can he give us really?" Tracy said.