The Boston Red Sox revealed that Garrett Crochet is on the Wild Card roster despite not pitching in a game since April 25.
The guys for the job. pic.twitter.com/EMJH2404ib
— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 29, 2026
Crochet was the American League Cy Young Award runner-up last season, and the Red Sox are confident he can dominate out of the bullpen right now. His role in the Wild Card Series is a little unclear in terms of where Chad Tracy will go to him, and how many outs he's good for. However, he is back and could play a huge role in the series.
The Red Sox are starting Payton Tolle, Sonny Gray and, if needed, Ranger Suarez in this series. Using Crochet as an opener can probably be ruled out, but he could be in a piggyback type of role. If the Red Sox get a short start from one of their starting pitchers, Crochet could come in for an inning or two to bridge the gap to Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman.
Crochet had a 6.30 ERA in six games this year. It was not a great start for him, but it's possible that the shoulder injury that landed him on the injured list was impacting his play even before he was moved to the injured list. He has been throwing bullpens and facing hitters, and the Red Sox think he's ready to return.
Coming out of the bullpen is not foreign for Crochet, but he has not done it since 2023 with the Chicago White Sox. He has a 2.71 ERA as a reliever in his career.