Will the Red Sox Returning Ace Turn Their 2026 Season Around?
It’s been over a month since Garrett Crochet has taken the mound. The Sox pitcher, projected to be among the league’s best for 2026, has been sidelined since April 24th due to left shoulder inflammation. The injury somewhat explained his April performance, which saw him as a concerningly depleted version of himself. Now that he seems to be in the final stages of recovery, an endlessly middling Boston team is excited to welcome him back to the front of the starting rotation. What can we expect from the War Pig in his return? How does he fit within the arms that have developed in his absence?
The Beantown franchise has not released a definitive date for the two-time All-Star to take the hill again, but sources say it is imminent. Just last week, he threw live batting practice, a step that is even more significant considering the team’s belief that he will avoid any rehab assignment. Hypothetically, Crochet’s return could come in the first or second week of June. Fans would certainly be excited if that came during the upcoming series against the Yankees, even if that is just baseless speculation.
The pitching lineup that the former White Sox arm finds himself in now is certainly different from what it was earlier in the year. Despite the wider struggles from the famed Fenway occupants, performance on the mound has often been quite strong. Youngsters Connelly Early and Payton Tolle have largely risen to the occasion, utilizing improved control to baffle big league bats. More veteran presences like Ranger Suarez and Sonny Gray have settled into decent starters as well, generally proving to be steady arms that a Major League Baseball team craves. Garrett, at his best, would anchor this rotation, which could truly be great amongst their peers. The trouble is that Boston’s strikeout specialist was not at his best to begin 2026, and it is unclear if all of that was due to injury. He had some of the worst starts of his career, giving up massive amounts of runs over limited innings. His velocity and control were both significantly different from his excellent 2025 campaign. It remains to be seen if the time off is the key to alleviating these concerns, and maybe it will take some time to settle into the year and a new version of the War Pig. That being said, the return of a pitcher who has proven he can be one of the American League’s most feared is worth excitement.
