Getty

BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 25: Garrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after pitching against the Baltimore Orioles during the sixth inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 25, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

There have been a lot of conflicting reports concerning Garrett Crochet’s rehab from a shoulder injury. The left-hander cleared the air about his injury and rehab with MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.

“I was talking about my shoulder,” Crochet told Cotillo. “We all.. wouldn’t have expected the shoulder to keep me out as long as it has. When you’re dealing with the capsule, it’s a little finicky and it’s a very crucial component to overhead throwing. It was something we didn’t want to rush, then you add the lat into that and that’s what I was referring to. It’s just taken longer than expected to bounce back from everything.”

This is a rare case where the conflicting messages between the player and the front office on injuries are both actually true. However, it serves as a reminder that everything said on the record gets scrutinized by thousands of people.

Crochet developed a “low grade” lat strain while progressing in his rehab from a shoulder injury that’s kept him out since late April. The left-hander said that symptoms went away after four to five days. It’s only a matter of time before he’s cleared to start throwing again.

“I’m getting close to throwing. Just hate that I’ve been out this long, going back to April. I think we all viewed it as something minor. That’s what imaging revealed. The lat setback kinda pushed things back. But that was minor like we expected it to be.”

When Will Garrett Crochet Return to Red Sox Rotation?

With Crochet now asymptomatic, he can start a throwing progression once again. However, there was enough downtime that he’ll have to start all over again. With it already being in the middle of June, the Red Sox ace doesn’t anticipate being back before the All-Star break.

“I think it would take a huge leap to say I’d be back before then,” Crochet told Cotillo. “If I hadn’t injured my lat as well, I’d say yeah, it’s possible. I think that would be really rushing it.”

It’s unclear how much further Crochet will remain out beyond that point. He’ll need a Spring Training-esque build-up before he’s even in consideration to return to the Red Sox rotation. That places a potential ETA at the end of July at the earliest.

How Garrett Crochet’s Timeline Affects Red Sox Rotation

The 2026 Red Sox season has been a dud, and not much can be salvaged in terms of postseason contention. So their primary concern is getting their ace as healthy as possible, then seeing how things look with the rotation after the deadline.

The club has had some positive developments despite losing its ace. Left-hander Payton Tolle looks like the Red Sox’s No. 2 starter in the making. Across nine starts, he has a 2.70 ERA and a 25.1% strikeout rate across 53.1 innings.

Between Crochet, Tolle, Ranger Suarez, and Connelly Early, Boston has four of their top five rotation spots figured out. They don’t have many right-handed options in the organization, especially after Brayan Bello was optioned to Triple-A Worcester following a string of bad starts.

Bello is a candidate to return after the Red Sox deal Sonny Gray at the deadline. Gray has a mutual option, but could decline his half to hit the open market in pursuit of a multiyear deal. He is ineligible for a qualifying offer after receiving one after the 2023 season. So the Red Sox should deal him for what they can get, then see if Bello is a rotation solution for next season.

Other arms the Red Sox will want a look at for 2027 are Tanner Houck, Johan Oviedo, and Kutter Crawford. All three starters are headed to the Red Sox’s Spring Training facility in Florida, according to the Boston Globe‘s Tim Healey.