BALTIMORE, MD - APRIL 26: Interim Manager Chad Tracy of the Boston Red Sox watches his team play against the Baltimore Orioles in the second inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 26, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

The Boston Red Sox have had a tough April. Wednesday in Toronto only made it worse. Brayan Bello lasted just 3⅔ innings in an 8-1 loss to the Blue Jays, Garrett Crochet landed on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation, and Boston headed home from its road trip at 12-19 with a roster that looks shakier now than when the trip began.

Interim manager Chad Tracy inherited a difficult situation. The Crochet injury has compounded things. The rotation needs a new arm.

Friday at Fenway, it might.

Red Sox Clear Path for Bennett

The Red Sox optioned Nate Eaton to Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, opening a roster spot.

According to Chris Cotillo, the move clears the way for Jake Bennett to start Friday against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park. If that happens, it will be his MLB debut.

Crochet had been scheduled to take that Friday start before shoulder inflammation sent him to the injured list. Bennett was scratched from his Triple-A start Tuesday, a decision that now looks deliberate. Boston was keeping him fresh for exactly this moment.

The Red Sox need innings from their rotation. They need stability. What they really need is a pitcher who walks onto that mound and gives the fanbase something to believe in.

Bennett gets the ball Friday.

GettyFORT MYERS, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 17: Jake Bennett #64 of the Boston Red Sox poses for a picture during the 2026 Boston Red Sox Photo Day at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 17, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

What Bennett Has Done to Earn It

Bennett has been one of the best pitchers in Triple-A through the first month of the season.

Across five starts for Worcester, he has posted a 0.86 ERA, allowing just two earned runs across 21 innings of work. He has surrendered 12 hits and struck out 16 hitters. The numbers reflect a pitcher who has been in complete control of his environment.

The path to this moment has not been straightforward. Bennett missed all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery. His return in 2025 was encouraging, posting a 2.27 ERA across 18 starts while working through Low-A, High-A, and Double-A. This season he carried that momentum into Triple-A and built on it.

The Red Sox acquired him from the Washington Nationals in December for Luis Perales. Nobody penciled Bennett in as a solution in December. The calendar had other ideas.

The Rotation Picture Is Difficult

Crochet is on the injured list. Sonny Gray is also sidelined. Bello’s April has been rough. The arsenal on paper is real. The execution has not been.

Bennett does not have to fix all of that. A strong debut does not fix everything. It changes the conversation.

If he throws well Friday, Boston suddenly has another arm to believe in.

GettyGarrett Crochet #35 of the Boston Red Sox is placed on the IL. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)

Final Word for the Red Sox

The Red Sox did not expect Bennett to matter this much this quickly. April changed that.

He has done everything asked of him in Worcester. The ERA speaks for itself. Now he gets a start at Fenway against a dangerous Houston lineup, with a fanbase that badly needs something to feel good about from its pitching staff.

The weight of a 12-19 record is not his to carry. But the Red Sox need a different answer from their rotation.

Friday is his.