Garrett Crochet threw a bullpen on Wednesday, and that's good news for the Red Sox in and of itself.
After nearly a month on the injured list, it's become clear that Crochet's recovery is progressing reasonably well, even if he was never going to be back after 15 days like he initially hoped. The Red Sox have pitched well in his absence, but the best version of Crochet can help any rotation.
After the bullpen, Crochet told Alex Speier of The Boston Globe that the day went smoothly. However, there are still some obstacles to overcome, most of which will come against live hitters. That, according to Speier, will likely begin next week.
"Garrett Crochet said his shoulder strength is in a good spot — reassuring after he felt 'trepidation' about his progression. 'I don’t even know if I used that word right, but it felt good.' But, while Crochet feels good about his shoulder health, he admitted frustration with his mechanics," wrote Speier.
"He is searching for feel, which is hard to do in a bullpen session. He has one more bullpen session and then likely will progress to live BP next week. He’ll need multiple outings against hitters. ... Possibly including a rehab start, but he’ll know more about next steps after next week’s live BP."
Crochet previously said he didn't want to go on a rehab assignment, but even if he has input on that decision, it won't be his final call. He last pitched on April 26, the day after Alex Cora and five other coaches were fired, so the farther away that moment feels, the more likely it might be that the ace needs a longer stretch of facing live hitters to ramp up.
If the Red Sox get Crochet back in the second week of June, they have to feel like they came out of this situation winners. He clearly wasn't himself in his first six starts of the season, especially the one in Minnesota where he gave up 10 earned runs and recorded four outs. If he can get on a roll by the end of the summer, this time on the injured list to regain strength will have paid major dividends.