Boston Red Sox Starter Returned From Rehab Assignment Due to Setback

Ahead of Tuesday night's game in Minnesota, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora met with the media, where he shared that starter Kutter Crawford, who had been on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester, was pulled from the assignment after suffering a setback.

Per MassLive's Chris Smith, Cora told reporters that Crawford was experiencing soreness in his elbow. Smith also noted that the team wasn't overly concerned about the issue and that no imaging was scheduled, with them expecting Crawford to head back out on assignment at some point in the next week.

Crawford had made just one rehab appearance with Triple-A Worcester, showing some expected rust. He threw 60 pitches across three innings of work, allowing five runs on six hits, including three home runs, striking out five.

The last time Crawford was on a major league mound, he was wrapping up a breakout 2024 season, striking out 175 batters with a 4.38 ERA across a team-high 183.2 innings of work. After starting the 2025 season on the injured list with right patellar tendinopathy, the team announced on July 2nd that he would miss the remainder of the season after undergoing right wrist surgery.

Crawford, along with fellow rehabbing starter Patrick Sandoval, was expected to be in the running for the Red Sox' fifth starter job entering spring training, however, both of them were delayed in ramping up before rookie Connelly Early won the job.

Now, with no defined role, Crawford will have to wait a little longer to return to a big league mound.

In other Red Sox news

Apr 23, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox first base Triston Casas (36) runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

• Per the Boston Globe's Tim Healey, Cora announced that first baseman Triston Casas was diagnosed with an abdominal strain. Casas suffered the injury while swinging in his rehab from a torn patellar tendon suffered last May. He attempted to restart his swinging progression, which, per Cora, didn't go well. He told reporters ahead of Saturday's win over St. Louis that Casas would be out "a while." Per Healey, Casas will have to go through a "spring training style" buildup before potentially returning to the Red Sox lineup.

• Prior to Tuesday night's game in Minnesota, the Red Sox added pitcher Jack Anderson to their major league roster. To make room on the 40-man roster, Boston transferred starter Johan Oviedo to the 60-day injured list with a right flexor strain and optioned reliever Tyler Samaniego to Triple-A Worcester.

• Sandoval is slated to make his second rehab appearance on Tuesday night in Nashville when the WooSox take on the Nashville Sound. Sandoval made his first appearance on April 8th, throwing 63 pitches over 3.1 innings. If Sandoval continues to work on his pitch count, Boston may opt to bring him up to the big leagues, though the team has yet to define what his potential role may be.

The Red Sox, now 6-10 and in last place in the American League East, will take on the Twins at Target Field on Tuesday night. First pitch at 7:40 p.m. ET.

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