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Garrett Crochet warms up before a Boston Red Sox game. The All-Star left-hander continues progressing through his return timeline from shoulder inflammation.

Garrett Crochet took a major step toward returning to the Boston Red Sox rotation Tuesday, facing live hitters for the first time since going on the injured list with shoulder inflammation.

The Red Sox ace said the shoulder fatigue is now behind him after completing a one-inning live batting practice session, though Boston still expects Crochet to complete additional throwing work before activating him.

Crochet said he is locked in on the next five days, according to Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald newspaper. The path to his return still includes at least one more live batting practice session and likely a bullpen session before the club makes a decision on activating its left-handed ace. Crochet also said he is uncertain whether a rehab assignment will be part of the process.

Garrett Crochet’s Return Timeline Remains Unclear

Boston placed Crochet on the 15-day injured list April 26 with left shoulder inflammation. The two-time All-Star had posted a 3-3 record with a 6.30 ERA and 1.47 WHIP through six starts before going down, an uneven stretch defined by three strong outings and three that were not.

Tuesday’s live batting practice session checked another box, but the finish line is not yet in sight. Tim Healey of the Boston Globe reported from the session that Crochet will need at least one and probably multiple additional live outings before the Red Sox put him back in the rotation.

“Feeling good, feeling confident in the throw,” Crochet said before Tuesday’s live batting practice outing, as quoted by MassLive‘s Christopher Smith. “Mechanics are in a good spot. That’s kind of the sucky part of all this — that’s all I have to focus on right now.”

Interim manager Chad Tracy echoed the measured tone. The next step — whether another live session, a bullpen outing, or a rehab assignment — depends on how Crochet responds in the next few days, Tracy said.

Red Sox Pitching Holds Steady Without Crochet

The Red Sox rotation has not collapsed in Crochet’s absence. In fact, Boston’s staff has ranked second in ERA (2.56) and third in rotation ERA (3.09) in May, according to Boston.com. Ranger Suárez has been extraordinary, posting a 0.66 ERA. Sonny Gray (1.06) and Payton Tolle (1.35) have been nearly as dominant.

The problem is on the other side of the ball. Boston’s offense ranks 30th out of 30 in RBI with 186 and 27th in batting average with runners on base at .232, per MLB.com data. The team has posted its lowest batting average since 1968. Wins have been harder to come by than the pitching numbers suggest they should be.

The Red Sox sit at 22-30, fifth in the American League East, a record that reflects the gap between a pitching staff performing at an elite level and a lineup that has consistently fallen short when opportunities arise.

Crochet’s return won’t fix the offense. But it would restore the one arm that gives Boston’s rotation a genuine top-of-the-rotation threat — the kind of presence that changes how opposing managers build their lineups and how deep into a series the Red Sox can realistically expect to compete.