Is It Worth It for the 2026 Red Sox to Rush Their Injured Stars Back into the Lineup?

The city of Boston has been struck with World Cup fever. International soccer fans have descended on the city to watch tournament matches and take in the sights of the town. Those, like the thousands of viral Scottish supporters, who look to take in a game at historic Fenway Park, might be disappointed to see the state of the local baseball franchise. Despite a weekend series win against the Texas Rangers, the Red Sox are still well below .500 and comfortably in last place in the AL East. Part of the reason for the poor performance and general fan dismay is the absence of arguably the two best Sox players: Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet. With worrisome injuries followed by mysterious and shaky recoveries, one now has to wonder whether either athlete’s return is imminent. Furthermore, if those returns were to a team this abysmal, are they even a smart decision?

While the parts of the body in question are different, Anthony and Crochet’s stories feel similar. Both got off to unexpectedly slow starts this season; outfielder Roman was not swinging the bat as he did in his rookie campaign, and starter Garrett drew early concern for noticeably weaker velocity and poor control. Then came the hard news: May 4th brought about a hand injury for the 22-year-old hitter, and April 29th saw the 26-year-old go down with left shoulder inflammation. To make matters worse, what had first seemed like a couple of speedy recoveries was ruined by worsening injuries to the hand and shoulder, which also affected the left lat. All in all, it’s been quite a long time since the franchise faces have taken the field. Just this week, both spoke optimistically about returning. Anthony said he’s “definitely progressing,” and Crochet talked about a post-all-star break appearance. The shared trouble was their continued vagueness. No clear timelines have been given, and it is not as if either one is practicing at a high level yet, which might look like taking batting practice or pitching a bullpen session.

So, we’ve got two guys, both with recoveries that have proven to be difficult and secretive. Additionally, neither of them was playing at their best before the two sidelining incidents. That seems, more than anything, like fatigue from last year, where they were both asked to do more than they ever have in their baseball careers. Truthfully, his long description has been a way of beating around the bush, or qualifying, or trying to avoid addressing the band-aid rip that no one wants to address. After all the strife, combined with the fact that the rest of the Boston roster looks this woeful, is it even worth bringing the wounded men back for the remainder of 2026? They are young players with bright futures. Perhaps it’s best to throw in the towel, let them have an extra-long recovery and re-training process. It’s a drastic option, but the moment feels like it calls for drastic. Do not fret too much, though. If it helps at all, it’s not the every-four-years World Cup; the boys would be back in 2027.