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Injured Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet threw a third rehab bullpen session on Wednesday.

Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet stepped onto the Kauffman Stadium warning track Wednesday for his third bullpen session of his shoulder rehabilitation, raising fresh hope for a return, as documented by beat reporter Christopher Smith of MassLive. But Crochet’s impending return creates a new set of headaches for the Red Sox front office.

The left-hander has not taken the mound in a regular-season game since April 25. He landed on the 15-day injured list four days later, though the designation was made retroactive to April 26, diagnosed with left shoulder inflammation, according to BoSox Injection’s Katie Manganelli. The recovery has moved slower than the Red Sox, or Crochet, hoped.

The Red Sox go for only the second series sweep of their season when they face the Royals on Wednesday.

Crochet Shoulder Rehab Hits Third Bullpen Milestone

Crochet’s first bullpen session came May 13, a 20-pitch outing in Boston. A 35-pitch bullpen followed May 16 at Truist Park in Atlanta during the Red Sox series against the Braves. Wednesday’s session in Kansas City is the third, with facing live hitters still ahead — one of the final boxes to check before reinstatement from the injured list becomes likely.

“It has taken a little bit longer than I had originally hoped, but today was a good day,” Crochet told reporters after the May 13 session, as quoted by Boston.com’s Hayden Bird.

The ace has been deliberately vague about a target return date, noting that chasing a specific date left him feeling like he let the club down when the first one slipped by. He wants to come back healthy and useful, he says, not simply as fast as possible.

Crochet has made clear he prefers to skip a minor league rehab assignment and return directly to Boston’s rotation. His reasoning is that a rehab stint wastes innings he could contribute at the big league level. Whether the Red Sox will agree remains unclear. Crochet has not thrown a competitive pitch since April 25, and his numbers before the injury were already a concern, with a 6.30 ERA in his six appearances this season. A rehab start or two to refine his mechanics before rejoining the rotation could be the preferred path.

Rotation Decision Looms as Crochet Gets Closer

The bigger issue hovering over Crochet’s return is what Boston does with its starting rotation once he’s ready. Interim manager Chad Tracy has been getting production from a rotation that includes Sonny Gray, Ranger Suárez, Connelly Early, and rookie Payton Tolle who has posted a 2.05 ERA across five starts with a 30-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 30 2/3 innings.

Brayan Bello looks increasingly to be the odd man out. The right-handed sinker-baller is in the worst stretch of his young career, posting a 7.16 ERA across nine appearances, according to Sports Illustrated’s Patrick McAvoy. Bello carries a six-year, $55 million extension and the upside of a front-line starter. A temporary move to the bullpen or Triple-A could be the bridge that gets the rotation through Crochet’s return.

MassLive’s Chris Cotillo has pegged a return date somewhere around June 1 as a realistic target, contingent on Crochet progressing through his live batting practice session without setbacks. Boston is a mere two games out of an American League wild card spot despite their 21-27 record. Crochet’s arm remains the single biggest variable in whether this team can close that gap before summer.