Boston Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford was set to make a rehab start with Triple-A Worcester. But with the game being cancelled due to rain, per the Worcester Telegram-Gazette’s Tommy Cassell, the club faces a tough roster decision on the 30-year-old starter.
The cancellation also ends Worcester’s season. That means the Red Sox will have to decide if they want to roster Crawford during the final seven games of the regular season, and possibly the postseason.
Crawford is currently on the 60-day injured list after suffering a major setback in his recovery from wrist surgery. After a rehab start in April, he experienced issues in his right elbow and has been shelved since. This appearance would have been his first outing in five months.
Red Sox Face Tough Roster Decision on Kutter Crawford
With nowhere to get a rehab outing, the Red Sox will have to decide the next steps for Kutter Crawford. They certainly had some contingency in place if the game was affected by weather.
The first question the Red Sox have to answer is whether Crawford is an option for the postseason. If not, they will likely just shut him down. Otherwise, they have to clear a 40-man roster spot to activate him from the injured list.
If Boston does roster the 30-year-old, it will likely be in a relief role. The Red Sox will likely go into the Wild Card Series with a three-man rotation of Sonny Gray, Ranger Suarez, and Payton Tolle. If they advance further, they could turn to either Jake Bennett or Brayan Bello as their fourth starter.
Given the postseason in general, there could be some need for an innings-eater for the bullpen. But Bello and Bennett are further stretched out than Crawford at this point in the season.
If Crawford is done for the year, it will mark the second straight season the right-hander has not thrown a pitch for the Red Sox. That could make him a non-tender candidate in November. But if they do tender him, he won’t see much of a raise from his $2.75 million salary for 2026.
It’s quite possible that Crawford has thrown his last pitch for the Red Sox.
Red Sox Right Now
The Red Sox aim to clinch a postseason berth in their series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays. They’ll send left-hander Patrick Sandoval to the mound.
Boston needs a win or a loss by the Houston Astros to officially clinch. They’ve already been eliminated from American League East contention, so they would be locked into a Wild Card spot.
The Red Sox have a five-game lead for the AL’s second Wild Card spot. So they should lock in their postseason seeding in the next couple of days. That would allow them to set up their rotation for the Wild Card Series. Their likely first opponent in the postseason will be the New York Yankees.
Red Sox Face Tough Kutter Crawford Roster Decision After Rehab Start Cancelled