One of the biggest questions of the Boston Red Sox's postseason run — "Will Garrett Crochet return?" — has been answered. The ace has been added to Boston's Wild Card roster to face the New York Yankees for up to three games in the Bronx.
Crochet has been on the injured list since April 26 with shoulder inflammation. At the beginning of his stint, he pushed so hard to return quickly that he sustained a lat strain that kept him out for the rest of the regular season.
Crochet really began ramping up to return in late August and early September and the Red Sox were uncertain if they'd be able to use him in their playoff run at all. In his September 28 pre-series press conference, Chad Tracy said he's uncertain if Crochet will be able to get into more than one game this series.
Red Sox fans will be happy to see Crochet back, though, even if it is just for one game. The 2025 Cy Young Award finalist was formerly a reliever with the Chicago White Sox and delivered great results out of their bullpen (2.71 ERA over 72 appearances from 2020-23). His return is especially important now that Justin Slaten's season is over and Erik Miller is struggling through mechanical issues.
The Red Sox also removed a surprising arm from their bullpen, Jovani Morán. The lefty had been one of their most used relievers this season and he posted a 3.15 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 73 strikeouts and 30 walks over 65.2 frames this year. He didn't make the cut for the Wild Card, possibly due to the mileage on his arm.
Garrett Crochet and Alec Gamboa make Red Sox Wild Card bullpen, Braiden Ward off the roster
Boston instead went with Alec Gamboa, who has been rock-solid out of the 'pen in his rookie season, to the tune of a 1.91 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 23 strikeouts and 11 walks over 33 innings. Gamboa also has some skills that make him a good option against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium — he carries an elite 53.6 percent ground ball rate and misses barrels at a high clip with just 3.1 percent of his pitches being barreled this season. Given the Yankees' penchant for home runs and the short porch in their right field, Gamboa is a safe option out of the bullpen.
On the lineup side, Braiden Ward wasn't added to the roster despite traveling to New York with the team. The outfielder has spent the entire season with Triple-A Worcester, but his speed made him a candidate for the Wild Card roster. He mustered 61 stolen bases with the WooSox this year and he would've been a weapon on the bases in the late innings of a tight game.
Instead, the Red Sox stuck with their regular season outfield options, Jarren Duran, Jahmai Jones and Nate Eaton. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Nick Sogard are their infield depth options.
The Red Sox made it this far this season with depth and bench players as a key part of their success. They're banking on beating the Yankees with the same formula. The depth pieces will have to step up even more than they already have while Willson Contreras' hand heals and Ceddanne Rafaela bounces back from his quad issue.
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