Red Sox Share New Garrett Crochet Injury Update Before Astros Game
Garrett Crochet was supposed to be the one constant for the Boston Red Sox in 2026. Coming off an 18-5 record, a 2.59 ERA and a league-leading 255 strikeouts in 2025, the 26-year-old left-hander entered this season as one of the best pitchers in baseball and the clear anchor of Boston's rotation.
The season, however, has not gone to plan for either Crochet or the Red Sox (11-19), who sit last in the AL East. He carried a 3-3 record and a 6.30 ERA through six starts, with a catastrophic April 13 outing against the Minnesota Twins doing significant damage to his numbers.
Crochet had been dealing with shoulder fatigue that he says dated back to a skipped start during Spring Training. He managed to gut through it, including a six-inning scoreless gem against the Baltimore Orioles in his final start.
But the Red Sox decided getting ahead of it now was smarter than risking a longer absence down the road. They placed him on the 15-day injured list on April 29, retroactive to April 26, with left shoulder inflammation.
Ahead of Friday's series opener against the Houston Astros, interim manager Chad Tracy provided a fresh update. Crochet received an MRI, and it came back showing nothing beyond inflammation, per Boston Globe's Tim Healey. He is still shut down from throwing for at least a couple of days while building shoulder strength.
Garrett Crochet update: He did get an MRI, and it didn't show anything other than inflammation, Chad Tracy said.
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) May 1, 2026
He is shut down from throwing for at least a couple of days while he builds shoulder strength.
While Crochet has endured a sluggish start to the season, his resume shows just how important he is to Boston's pitching staff. The two-time All-Star finished as the AL Cy Young Award runner-up behind Detroit Tigers' Tarik Skubal in 2025 before signing a six-year, $170 million extension with the Red Sox shortly after the season.
For a roster that is already missing Sonny Gray, Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval, Crochet's return cannot come soon enough. He is eligible to be reinstated as early as May 10, and could be back for the final game of the Tampa Bay Rays series or the start of a home series against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 12.
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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 2:18 PM.