BOSTON – Garrett Crochet now has a diagnosis on the minor setback he suffered late last week while playing catch.
The ace lefty has a “very low-grade left lat strain,” as Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy termed it following Tuesday night’s game.
Where does that leave Crochet in terms of resuming the throwing program he had been on in his attempt to return from left shoulder inflammation?
“Crochet will be able to resume throwing as soon as he is asymptomatic,” said Tracy.
Side injuries are delicate, because if you try to push the envelope too soon, they can worsen.
“I'm kind of just tight, I would say,” Crochet said. “Nothing really glaring, like painful-wise. I’m feeling much better than I was a couple days ago, which is positive.”
For Crochet, this ordeal has been frustrating. His last start for the Red Sox was on April 25, when he fired six scoreless innings in a win over the Orioles in what wound up being Alex Cora’s last game as manager.
He was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 29. At the time, Crochet felt he might just need the 15 days.
But he didn’t recover as quickly as he hoped. Crochet appeared to turn a corner on May 26, when he threw an inning of live batting practice, marking the first time he had faced hitters in his time on the IL.
“I was getting close to being happy with where I was at,” Crochet said. “The live went well. Velo was in a good spot, command and stuff was in a good spot. So, it’s tough to have this, but it’s just kind of all part of the road back.”
Two days after the live BP, Crochet experienced some minor soreness in his lat while playing catch. When it didn’t resolve itself after a few days, he underwent an MRI on Tuesday which revealed the low-grade strain.
“Just one throw, kind of felt a pull in my lat,” said Crochet. “Coming back from the shoulder, I figured I fell into a compensation pattern. That's really all it is. I don't expect it to be something major.”
Once Crochet is cleared to resume throwing, the Red Sox will have a better idea of when he can get back to the mound.
Considering how long he’s been out, and how much build-up is still to come, it’s probably a stretch for Crochet to return before July.