Garrett Crochet (shoulder) still early in ramp-up

Crochet was in full uniform on Tuesday to throw a bullpen before the Red Sox’s game against the Angels. It was his second bullpen in the last four days and another big step forward in his plan to join the team as a reliever for the playoffs. The left-hander is scheduled for another bullpen on Friday or Saturday and then may get a chance to pitch in a rehab game or two in Triple-A before the season ends on September 20th. While the Red Sox have said that they won’t stretch him out beyond three innings given the short timeline, interim manager Chad Tracy has said that using Crochet as an opener is on the table.

Healey also notes that it’s likely Crochet will not pitch in a game in the majors or minors before returning for the postseason. One would assume the Red Sox would not want to use him in high-leverage innings right away without any rehab assignment, but it’s possible that he could be used as a three-or-four-inning opener or bulk reliever, perhaps in tandem with Ranger Suarez or Brayan Bello in a postseason rotaiton that will likely feature Sonny Gray and Payton Tolle as well.

It’s a significant step towards Crochet returning to Boston’s pitching equation as a one or two-inning relief option for the postseason. The 27-year-old fantasy ace made just six starts before hitting the injured list with a shoulder issue in late April. It won’t help fantasy managers down the home stretch, but it qualifies as a positive that Crochet managed to avoid surgery and is making real progress with his throwing program. He should be healthy for the start of next spring, lockout permitting, after a normal offseason.

It’s an important milestone for Crochet as he attempts to make it back to Boston as a reliever in time for a potential postseason run. The 27-year-old fantasy ace seems highly unlikely to pitch before the regular season concludes, but he’s probably going to be in the mix for a postseason roster spot.

This is now the second time Crochet has thrown off a mound as he inches closer to a return. The Red Sox have already said that he will not return to a starting role by the end of the regular season, given how much time he would need to ramp up. That also means Crochet could need less time on a rehab assignment because Boston may just want him to throw 2-3 innings at a time before the end of September. We still would be shocked to see him before the final week or two of the regular season.

Crochet is gradually building up his throwing progression with the aim of returning as a one or two-inning relief weapon for the postseason. The 27-year-old fantasy ace has been on the shelf with a capsule strain in his shoulder since late April. He can be safely dropped in all redraft fantasy leagues at this point of the season.

Crochet, who has been sidelined with a capsule strain in his shoulder since late April, added that he could potentially make it back as a one or two-inning reliever if he makes it back to Boston before the end of the season. The 27-year-old ace would provide the Red Sox with a real weapon out of the bullpen for the postseason, but his odds of making any sort of meaningful fantasy impact appear nonexistent for the rest of the season. There’s a contractual component to Crochet’s absence where he’s missed enough time that the opt-out in his six-year, $170 million contract with the club converts to a $15 million club option for 2032. Basically, the Red Sox have Crochet under control for five guaranteed years and $142 million with a sixth-year option for 2032.

The Red Sox remain focused on getting Crochet back into their rotation by the postseason. That doesn’t mean that he won’t return in September, but it does mean that he’s unlikely to return as a fully stretched-out starter. Instead, he could be used as a reliever: “If he’s healthy and right, and he looks like Garrett Crochet, I think we’d be foolish not to consider that,” said Tracy. Even though Crochet recently began his throwing progression again, he’s not a recommended stash in redraft leagues.

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters Crochet, who has progressed to flat-ground throwing at roughly 60 feet, is at the very outset of his throwing program. He added that he absolutely has a chance at returning this season. The 27-year-old fantasy ace has been on the shelf with shoulder and lat issues since late April. He’s not going to deliver enough volume to be worth stashing in shallow fantasy leagues, especially since he’s unlikely to make it back until some point in mid-to-late September. Yet, he could wind up being a late-season pickup as a streaming option.

As Healey notes, Crochet is now three months into recovery for a shoulder injury that the Red Sox were initially not convinced needed an IL stint. Of course, that has included connected issues to separate parts of the shoulder that turned an inflammation designation into a lat strain. Crochet himself has stated that his goal is to pitch for the Red Sox in the postseason, but even that is not guaranteed at this point. Once Crochet is cleared, and he has not been yet, “he’ll need a spring training-esque six weeks or so, maybe longer” to be ready to pitch in an MLB game. It’s probably time to drop Crochet in all redraft fantasy leagues if you’ve been holding on this long.