Garrett Crochet went on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation in April and did not return until Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, when he gave up four earned runs without recording an out.
Even before going on the injured list, Crochet did not look like himself, posting a 6.30 ERA in six starts. It was a lost year for the Red Sox's ace, but the team thinks he will be ready to hit the ground running in the spring.
In the end-of-season press conference on Monday, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow confirmed that Crochet will be going into the offseason 100% healthy. Breslow also noted that there was perhaps a chance to get Crochet back on the field sooner, but the team did not want to do anything that impacted his long-term outlook.
Breslow also said that even when Crochet was pitching, there was some discomfort, but it was not something, at the time, that Crochet thought would impact him in the way that it did.
Ultimately, it was unfair for Red Sox fans to think that Crochet could come into October after a long layoff and no rehab assignment and immediately look like the Cy Young Award candidate pitcher he was last season. However, the good news is that he is back to full health and will get a fresh start in spring training.
Crochet was not the only Red Sox star who suffered an injury this year, and getting all of those players back and healthy will be very important for the Red Sox. Having Crochet in the rotation with Payton Tolle and Ranger Suarez next year will be great for Boston.