The Red Sox received another troubling update on Garrett Crochet before Saturday’s game against the Rays, with interim manager Chad Tracy revealing the ace still has not returned to the mound during his recovery process, according to a report by Tim Healy of The Boston Globe.
Crochet has progressed to playing catch from beyond 100 feet, according to Healey, but Tracy acknowledged the left-hander’s return is “not imminent” because he still has not resumed mound work. That’s a concerning development for a Red Sox rotation already under mounting pressure entering the Rays series.
Crochet’s Timeline Slipping Past Expectations
When Boston placed Crochet on the 15-day injured list April 29 with left shoulder inflammation, retroactive to April 26, the 26-year-old left-hander was measured in his assessment of the situation but nonetheless optimistic. He told reporters he was “pretty confident, in this moment” that he would be back after the minimum IL stint, framing the move as getting ahead of fatigue rather than treating something structurally serious, according to Sports Illustrated.
An MRI performed on May 1 came back clean, showing only the inflammation Boston already expected. Tracy confirmed at the time that Crochet was not yet throwing but that the imaging showed no structural damage. That was the good news. The bad news is that 10 days into the IL stint, the situation has not materially advanced.
As of Saturday morning, Healey reported, Crochet remains limited to playing catch out past 100 feet, per Tracy. Crochet has not thrown from a mound. Without mound work in the rearview mirror, a return in the immediate term is off the table.
Red Sox Rotation Faces Pressure Without Crochet
Under Tracy, who took over as interim manager after the April 25 dismissal of Alex Cora, the Red Sox have reversed course in a meaningful way. Boston entered Saturday’s Rays series having gone 7-5 under their interim skipper, a marked improvement for a club that opened the year 12-19 and found itself buried in the American League East.
Connelly Early delivered a shutout performance Friday night against Tampa Bay, according to Over the Monster, giving the rotation a much-needed lift. But Early, Brayan Bello and Ranger Suarez can only carry so much of the burden.
Crochet entered the IL having posted a 6.30 ERA across six starts in 2026, a sharp departure from his 2025 campaign, when he went 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA and led the American League with 205 1/3 innings pitched while finishing as AL Cy Young runner-up behind Detroit’s Tarik Skubal. The shoulder fatigue that ended his April 2026 appeared to have been building before the IL placement, with velocity and arm angle both drawing scrutiny during his final few outings.
For now, Tracy and the Red Sox are managing a waiting game, one without a firm end date in sight.
Red Sox Get Troubling News on Garrett Crochet Before Rays Game