The Boston Red Sox have been without star pitcher Garrett Crochet since Apr. 25 due to a left shoulder injury. And as it stands, the team may have to brace for being without him for a little while longer.
On Wednesday, the 26-year-old said that he still has "a lot of boxes to check" in the midst of his recovery. Additionally, per Christopher Smith of MasLive.com, Crochet is expected to need multiple live batting practice sessions before either being activated or needing a rehab assignment.
“I still have a lot of boxes to check in terms of workload and time to really iron those things out,” Crochet said.
“I feel like I’ve been trying to hit a certain amount of checkpoints in my delivery, and I’ve kind of got way too much going on,” Crochet said. “So really right now I’m just trying to simplify it, create a good foundation from the first move of my delivery and then just let the arm follow along.”
The Red Sox' pitching staff has held their own without Garrett Crochet
Make no mistake about it: Crochet is a crucial part of Boston's success, and the team is absolutely hoping he will make his return sooner rather than later. But all things considered, while the Red Sox haven't necessarily been on their A-game this season (and have just a 12-10 record since Crochet's last start), it's not because of their pitching.
In the month of May, Boston's pitching ranks second in ERA (2.56), 11th in strikeouts (155), fourth in WHIP (1.09), sixth in batting average (.215), and is tied for fifth with two shutouts and tied for ninth with 16 home runs allowed, all according to MLB.com. (And if we want to have some fun with it, too, their seven saves are tied for third-most in the majors in May).
The Red Sox have gotten some incredible performances this month out of rotation guys like Sonny Gray, who has stepped up in a major way for the team this season, as well as Payton Tolle, Connelly Early, Ranger Suarez, and (with the exception of one very, very, very bad game against the Baltimore Orioles on the 17th) Brayan Bello.
Boston still has a long way to go before it can be considered a real contender this season, as the team is 22-27 and is tied for third place in the AL East with the Toronto Blue Jays. But it seems like the Red Sox may be turning the corner, as they are fresh off a sweep against the Royals and have won four of their last five games.
And once they get Crochet back on the mound, the Red Sox may be truly ready to take it to the next level.
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