Kutter Crawford to Take Next Step for Red Sox Return

The Boston Red Sox had a positive update about the righty on Thursday.

Aug 29, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Kutter Crawford (50) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox got a bit of a positive update on Thursday.

The Athletic's Jen McCaffrey reported on X that the expectation is that right-handed pitcher Kutter Crawford will take the mound and throw two innings of live BP.

"Kutter Crawford is throwing two innings of live BP today," McCaffrey wrote.

Kutter Crawford is throwing two innings of live BP today

— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) March 12, 2026

Positive news for Boston

Feb 18, 2025; Lee County, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Kutter Crawford (50) participates in media day at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

That may not sound like much, but it's progress for the 29-year-old. Crawford missed the entire 2025 season due to knee and wrist injuries. He has been working his way back up to full strength, but he also had a setback early in camp as he got sick.

McCaffrey reported on Tuesday that Crawford is someone in the mix potentially for a bullpen spot, although he hasn't been able to get into a game yet.

"Meanwhile, Patrick Sandoval and Kutter Crawford remain in the mix," McCaffrey said of the bullpen. "Crawford is further behind Sandoval because of illness, and while Sandoval could still be in play for a long-man role out of the bullpen, he has not yet pitched in a game, which makes that scenario increasingly less likely. Sandoval had a scheduled de-load week this week to scale back his throwing in order to ramp back up next week as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. If neither is ready for Opening Day, one of the arms Cora mentioned might be in the mix come March 26."

The fact that he's going to be able to pitch the two innings of BP on Thursday is a step in the right direction.

It shouldn't be discounted how good Crawford can be when healthy. In 2024, he led the Red Sox in starts with 33 and had a 4.36 ERA in 183 2/3 innings pitched. In 2023, he had a 4.04 ERA in 31 total appearances, including 23 starts. There isn't space in the rotation right now, but he's someone who if healthy, could give Boston a high-end, multi-inning guy out of the bullpen.

There's still more work to do and it's unclear when he will be ready for games, but this is a positive update for Boston.