Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy recently addressed the idea of using Garrett Crochet in an opener role in the playoffs.
Boston Red Sox star pitcher Garrett Crochet is recovering from a shoulder injury. While the hope is that Crochet can return either later this season or for the postseason, he is not expected to return as a starting pitcher this year. So, does that mean he will strictly be limited to working in relief? Well, the idea of using him as an opener in the playoffs was recently presented to interim manager Chad Tracy.
“He’d have plenty of comfort opening if you wanted to go that route,” Tracy said via Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. “He pitched out of ‘pen. So if you need him to come in the middle innings of a game, a two-inning pocket, I’m sure he’d have comfort doing that too. That’s the beauty of it. If he’s healthy and ready and he looks like Garrett, there’s different things you can do.
“I hate getting too far ahead of myself. I just want to see him continue to check the boxes he needs to check and as we get closer and it feels like, ‘Hey, this is a realistic thing now,’ then we can kind of figure out what that is.”
One has to wonder if having him open games would be the best option given the comfort level. While Crochet did serve as a reliever early in his career, he has been a full-time starter since the 2024 campaign. While being an opener is different as the pitcher can go all out from a velocity standpoint early in the game, there is more familiarity for a starter opening a game than working out of the bullpen.
Boston Red Sox star pitcher Garrett Crochet is recovering from a shoulder injury. While the hope is that Crochet can return either later this season or for the postseason, he is not expected to return as a starting pitcher this year. So, does that mean he will strictly be limited to working in relief?