How long is Garrett Crochet Out? Injury Timeline, Possible Return, Updates on Red Sox Pitcher

How long is Garrett Crochet Out? Injury Timeline, Possible Return, Updates on Red Sox Pitcher originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Red Sox announced on April 29 that Garrett Crochet had been placed on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation.

The 2025 AL Cy Young runner-up has not been consistently dominant this season, but he was coming off a strong performance in which he didn't allow a run against the Orioles and finished with seven strikeouts in six innings.

How long will the Red Sox have to survive without one of baseball's best pitchers?

Here are the latest updates on Crochet's status and his projected return date.

Garrett Crochet injury updates

On May 13, Crochet threw a 20-pitch bullpen session at Fenway Park, his first time throwing since he landed on the IL. According to MassLive's Chris Cotillo, Crochet "expects to throw a two-inning bullpen over the weekend in Atlanta and after that, face hitters in a potential last step before returning."

"Obviously, touching the mound while rehabbing is a good step," Crochet said. "Got to keep building. It has taken a little bit longer than I had originally hoped, but today was a good day."

On April 29, Crochet was placed on the 15-day IL with left shoulder inflammation (retroactive to April 26). He noted that he started to feel some fatigue in his last start, a 17-1 win over Baltimore on April 25, but he was able to "grind through it."

"It kind of just makes more sense to get ahead of it now so I'm not playing catch-up the rest of the season," Crochet said.

How long is Garrett Crochet out?

Though Crochet was "pretty confident" that he would rejoin Boston's rotation when he was eligible to come off the injured list, the recovery process has taken longer than expected. Cotillo noted that "if he feels good coming out of his longer bullpen this weekend, the lefty could face hitters in a simulated game in the middle of next week and potentially return during the last week of May."

While the timeline remains unclear, Crochet has strongly rejected the idea of accepting a rehab assignment.

"We're trying to win games," Crochet said. "I'd rather not waste innings on a rehab assignment when I feel like I can contribute."

How Garrett Crochet injury impacts Red Sox's rotation

With Sonny Gray back in the fold and pitching effectively, the Red Sox's rotation has regained some much-needed stability. Gray, who spent time on the IL in April because of a hamstring injury, returned to the mound on May 6 and has been excellent this month, allowing just one earned run across 11 innings.

While Gray's return is a relief, the team is still navigating the absence of Crochet. The Red Sox will continue to lean on Brayan Bello, Connelly Early and Ranger Suarez. Payton Tolle, who originally stepped in for Gray, remains a key factor, and Jake Bennett could be recalled from Triple-A Worcester in the future.