What Garrett Crochet Injury Update Means for Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox star tossed another bullpen on Tuesday and is getting closer to a return.

Apr 13, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Garrett Crochet is looming over the Boston Red Sox's playoff push, despite the fact that he hasn't taken the hill in a big league game since April 25.

At this point, a new update seems to surface in Crochet's attempted return to game action every few days. And all of them have been positive, to say the least. On Tuesday, Crochet threw another bullpen and tossed his most pitches yet (30) en route back to Boston, per The Boston Globe's Tim Healey.

"Garrett Crochet’s two-inning, 30-pitch bullpen session — his heaviest workload so far — went well today, Chad Tracy said. He’ll rest for a couple of days. Sounds like he still won’t be getting into a Triple-A game before that season ends Sunday," Healey wrote.

Garrett Crochet Is Getting Closer

Apr 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) looks on during the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's a lot to take away from this update for the big lefty. First and foremost, the fact that he's been able to continue throwing and building up is a huge positive. In his last outing on Friday, Crochet tossed just over 20 pitches and introduced his sweeper into the mix. Now, a few days later, he's up to 30 pitches and also an up-and-down. The up-and-down is important in itself. That's a simulation of game action. If Crochet does return to game action before the 2026 season comes to an end, it's going to be in a bullpen role.

He's not coming back to be the starter Boston fans have seen, but instead hopefully a multi-inning weapon to take the bullpen to an even higher level. Now, the next step is going to be seeing how he reacts to the starting and stopping of the up-and-down. If he comes away feeling good, it will be massive for his chances of a return.

The fact that Healey reported that it doesn't sound like Crochet will pitch in Triple-A before Worcester's season comes to a close isn't shocking. In early September, it was shared that Crochet was trending towards a return for the postseason, even if he doesn't go on a rehab assignment beforehand. So, this already has been an idea out there.

When it comes to Crochet, the biggest thing to watch now is when he will face live batters. That's the next significant step. The second the Red Sox have him facing live hitters, that will be the next big step in his recovery. Crochet is close. He has thrown a handful of bullpens already and now he has an up-and-down under his belt. The Red Sox will begin a Wild Card round series on Sep. 29. That's 13 days away, as of writing. It's still very possible for Crochet to provide some much-needed help for this bullpen.