Overview
- Crochet told reporters Wednesday that the left‑lat strain keeping him off the mound “is a lot worse than what we thought” and that he has no estimate for when he might be cleared to play catch.
- The Red Sox moved Crochet to the 60‑day injured list on June 5 to open a 40‑man spot, which already prevented any return before late June and now makes an earlier comeback unlikely.
- The club has scheduled more medical testing this week to assess healing, with interim manager Chad Tracy confirming the exams and the front office awaiting results before restarting a formal throwing program.
- Public statements from team officials differ from Crochet’s account, with CBO Craig Breslow saying Crochet is “making good progress,” creating a contested public narrative about the injury’s severity.
- If cleared, Crochet must complete the usual progression from playing catch to long toss, bullpens, facing hitters and minor‑league rehab starts, which makes a mid‑July return optimistic and raises roster and trade scrutiny for Boston.