Red Sox's Garrett Crochet Will Resume Rehab When This Happens

A decent update, but uncertainty still reigns

Mar 26, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet isn't too much the worse for wear after his recent injury setback, but there are still a lot of boxes to check.

Crochet felt a pull in his lat while throwing on Sunday, which prompted the Red Sox to shut him down from throwing. He had previously thrown one inning of live batting practice and was scheduled for another live session on Tuesday.

Though the damage isn't terrible, Crochet definitely prolonged his return with the new lat issue. MRI results from Tuesday revealed a "very low-grade" lat strain, as reported by Christopher Smith of MassLive.

When Crochet can start throwing again

Apr 7, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Interim manager Chad Tracy delivered a bit more of a prognosis after the Red Sox's 4-2 loss against the Baltimore Orioles, which dropped the team to a major league-worst 9-20 at home. It's possible this setback might not last too long, but there's not much way to know how Crochet's body will respond.

“What I’m told right now is he can resume throwing as soon as he’s asymptomatic,” Tracy said, per Smith. “So we’re already headed in that direction, but that’s where we’re at with the results.”

The 26-year-old Crochet pitched to a 6.30 ERA in his first six starts of the season. It was three solid starts, including two outings of at least six scoreless innings, but he took the loss in his other three. One of those was the worst start of his career: 11 runs allowed (10 earned) in 1 2/3 innings against the Minnesota Twins.

Crochet hit the injured list at the end of April with shoulder fatigue, which was hardly a surprise, considering his struggles not only in the regular season, but in spring training as well. He clearly didn't have his usual zip on the fastball, and even if this time off winds up costing him close to three months of the regular season, the Red Sox needed to protect their six-year investment in the star lefty.

Also worth flagging now: Crochet's contract states that if he misses 120 consecutive days due to a "significant arm injury," his 2031 player option will be void, and the Red Sox will have a $15 million option to keep him for 2032. We're still a couple of months away from that mattering, but it could be a major storyline as the season progresses.