Starting pitching has been the Red Sox's strongest asset in 2026, and there's promising news on the horizon. Garrett Crochet is making steady progress toward returning from shoulder inflammation, having completed his first bullpen session since being sidelined. While he's not quite ready to rejoin the rotation, Crochet is aiming to skip any minor league rehab assignments and head straight back to the Majors when cleared. This approach isn't without precedent—Sonny Gray recently returned directly to the big league team and has been outstanding since.

The rotation has been on fire lately, posting a stellar 2.61 ERA in May. "I think pitching is contagious," Gray said. "I think hitting is contagious. I think winning is contagious. I've enjoyed watching our staff, and there's zero part of me that feels complacent. We're just going to continue to push forward because I think we could still get better." With Payton Tolle performing well and Brayan Bello potentially bouncing back thanks to the use of an opener, the staff has more than held its own without Crochet.

In other injury news, top prospect Roman Anthony's return remains uncertain. He's due to come off the IL tomorrow but is still wearing a brace and hasn't resumed baseball activities. The team is waiting for his grip strength to improve before determining next steps. Meanwhile, catcher Connor Wong had a scare last night after tripping over Edmundo Sosa's leg while chasing a foul pop-up in the eighth inning. Fortunately, initial images came back negative, and he was able to put weight on it shortly after.