The Boston Red Sox suffered another blow Sunday when ace Garrett Crochet’s recovery was interrupted by lat tightness, forcing the club to shut down his throwing program and delaying his long-awaited return, according to The Boston Globe‘s Tim Healey.
For a team already buried in last place in the AL East and still battling injuries throughout, Crochet’s latest setback raises fresh questions about whether Boston can keep its season from slipping further out of reach.
Garrett Crochet’s Setback Halts Return Timeline
Interim manager Chad Tracy confirmed the setback Sunday morning, according to MassLive beat reporter Chris Cotillo, telling reporters that Crochet felt lat tightness over the past several days. The 26-year-old left-hander had been building toward a simulated game against live hitters Tuesday before the complication emerged, the latest interruption in a recovery that has dragged on well past the minimum IL window.
Crochet said he felt “a little stretch” in his lat during a throw on the final day of Boston’s most recent homestand, as quoted by MLB.com reporter Henry Palattella. “I’m going to get some imaging on it just to confirm we got the full picture but it feels like a very minor setback.”
The once-dominant left-hander also noted the timing was not entirely surprising.
“I still feel like I was a little ways off from a rehab start since it was very early in the build-up process. That’s a pretty very vulnerable time for the arm in general, so if it was going to happen at some point I would expect it to happen right around now,” Crochet said.
Tracy said Crochet will visit doctors early in the week and is expected to undergo an MRI. No new return timeline has been set. Crochet first landed on the 15-day injured list April 29 with left shoulder inflammation, four days after a start against the Baltimore Orioles. An initial MRI showed no structural damage, and the club projected a brief absence. Over the following month, his return slipped repeatedly as the build-up process moved in halting fashion.
Boston Red Sox Rotation Depth Tested
Crochet, the AL Cy Young Award runner-up in 2025, posted 255 strikeouts, the most in baseball, alongside an 18-8 record and 2.59 ERA in his first Boston season. He signed a six-year, $170 million extension in April 2025. Even before the IL stint, though, he had struggled to replicate that form, posting a 6.30 ERA and 1.47 WHIP across six 2026 starts, according to ESPN statistics.
The rotation around him has also taken a beating. Depth starters Johan Oviedo, Patrick Sandoval, and Kutter Crawford all remain on the IL. Ranger Suarez, signed to a five-year, $130 million contract last winter, exited a May start with right hamstring tightness, according to The Boston Globe.
Roman Anthony, the club’s top outfield prospect, has also suffered a setback of his own in recent days, stretching the injury list further. Boston now waits on this week’s MRI results to clarify whether Crochet’s lat issue represents a short interruption or a longer detour â with the club already 12 games out of first place in the American League East and urgency building around every player now unable to take the field.
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