NEW YORK – The anticipation for Garrett Crochet’s return following a five-month absence became a reality when the Red Sox added the star lefty to the roster for the American League Wild Card Series against the Yankees.
Crochet will work out of the bullpen for the Red Sox in the postseason because he hasn’t had time to build his pitch count back up. His stints are expected to be one or two innings.
Other than that, Boston’s roster was pretty much as expected. There was some buzz that Braiden Ward (61 stolen bases at Triple-A Worcester) could make it as a pinch-running specialist, but the Sox opted to leave him off.
The last time Crochet pitched for the Red Sox was April 25 in his sixth and final start of the regular season. Things appeared to be trending upward that day when he fired six shutout innings and struck out seven at Baltimore.
But he went on the 15-day IL just a couple of days later with left shoulder inflammation, and eventually to the 60-day IL, which he was finally reinstated from on Tuesday. Crochet was ramping up towards a return in late May when he threw a live batting practice at Fenway. Just days later, he suffered a lat strain. He then spent the next three months strengthening the capsule that surrounds his rotator cuff before eventually re-initiating a throwing program.
Crochet will be one of seven lefties on manager Chad Tracy’s 12-man pitching staff.
Here is the 26-man roster for the Red Sox for their best of-three rivalry showdown against the Yankees that starts tonight.
PITCHERS (12): Brayan Bello, Jake Bennett, Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Crochet, Alec Gamboa, Sonny Gray, Erik Miller, Wyatt Olds, Ranger Suarez, Payton Tolle, Greg Weissert, Garrett Whitlock
CATCHERS (2): Adley Rutschman, Connor Wong
INFIELDERS (5): Willson Contreras, Caleb Durbin, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Andruw Monasterio, Trevor Story
OUTFIELDERS (5): Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Jahmai Jones, Ceddanne Rafaela
INFIELDER/OUTFIELDERS (2): Nate Eaton, Nick Sogard