Another season, another morass of starting pitching injuries for the Boston Red Sox. It's barely a month into the 2026 slate and Boston has already had Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray hit the 15-day injured list, and Ranger Suárez was pulled early from his most recent start.
The injuries have also piled up in the minors. Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval were both on rehab assignments and both have been shut down. Tyler Uberstine, who is a starter despite making his MLB debut out of the bullpen, has hit the IL, as well. The sheer amount of injuries has forced the Sox to call up Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett much earlier in the season than they would have liked.
Luckily for the Sox, at this point, only Johan Oviedo, who started the season as a reliever, and Sandoval have ended up on the 60-day shelf, and the injury to Crochet doesn't seem to be long-term issue, and Gray has already returned. As long as no more injuries pop up, they could have a fully healthy rotation in June. If that happens, they are going to have to make some decisions.
Projecting the Red Sox's rotation when their many pitcher injuries clear up
1 - Garrett Crochet
It's a no-brainer that Crochet will reclaim his spot as the Red Sox ace. Despite not being as sharp to start 2026 as he was in 2025, he was still absolutely dominant. He has Cy Young potential, and every time he steps foot on the mound, the Red Sox have a high chance to win.
2 - Ranger Suárez
A rough first two outings in a Red Sox uniform had Red Sox Nation questioning whether it was smart for Craig Breslow to give Suárez a long-term deal. After that, he settled in and looked like the $130 million pitcher he was paid to be. The financial obligation will put him back in the rotation no matter what, but he’s earned his spot with multiple excellent showings. The Red Sox have announced that Suárez will make his next start when his former team, the Philadelphia Phillies, come to town from May 12-14.
3 - Sonny Gray
The 36-year-old was by no means perfect in his first five starts, but he had been doing enough to keep the Sox competitive. Having a seasoned veteran in there to pitch every five games will be helpful if the Sox have any chance of competing for the playoffs this season. Also, demoting him from the rotation would kill any trade value he has if they are out of the playoff hunt at the deadline.
4 - Connelly Early
Early forced the Red Sox's hand by having a great spring training and made the opening day rotation. Since then, he has looked every bit the top 100 prospect. The rookie has allowed more than three runs in only two of his first seven starts, and he's holding opponents to a .231 batting average. Unless he completely falls apart, he’ll be keeping his spot in the rotation.
5 - Payton Tolle
After starting the season in Worcester, Tolle got the call after Gray hit the IL. He has been electric in two of his three starts. Against the Yankees and Tigers, he struck out a combined 17 batters in 13 innings. A rough start in Toronto in the middle raised some questions, but with the other pitchers struggling, there is no reason he should lose his rotation spot.
In the bullpen: Kutter Crawford and Patrick Sandoval
Both pitchers have earned the chance to be in the majors once they return from injury. While neither should be pushing any of the previously mentioned five out, they can both be useful bulk arms out of a Sox 'pen that has also seen its fair share of injuries.
In Triple-A: Brayan Bello and Johan Oviedo
Bello has struggled mightily this season and has already been relegated to having an opener used on his start day. He likely would have been optioned if Crochet hadn't been on the IL. Oviedo didn't look sharp in his outing before he got injured. Both pitchers need time in a less stressful environment to figure everything out.
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