Red Sox Ace Crochet Addresses Velocity Drop After Disastrous Outing

Crochet's worst career start raises injury concerns, but team says he's healthy

Apr. 14, 2026 at 8:50am

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting the motion of a baseball pitcher in sharp, overlapping geometric shapes, conveying the intensity and dynamism of the sport.A deconstructed view of a star pitcher's delivery highlights the complex physical and mental demands of the game.Boston Today

Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet addressed concerns about his velocity drop and poor performance after his worst career start, a 13-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins. Crochet allowed 11 runs in just 1 2/3 innings, the first Red Sox pitcher to give up 10 runs in fewer than two innings after finishing top-two in Cy Young voting the prior season. The team says Crochet is healthy, but his recent pitch count patterns suggest the heavy workload may have contributed to the velocity dip.

Why it matters

Crochet is the Red Sox's $170 million franchise arm, so any sign of injury or decline in performance raises major concerns for the team and its fans. The Red Sox are already off to a slow 6-10 start, and they need Crochet to bounce back to keep them in contention in the AL East.

The details

In the loss to the Twins, Crochet's pitching line was historically bad: 1 2/3 innings, nine hits, 11 runs (10 earned), three walks and zero strikeouts. He became the first Red Sox pitcher ever to allow 10 runs in fewer than two innings. Crochet's velocity averaged just 94.5 mph, second-lowest of his career, and he induced only three swings and misses. The Twins piled on with four runs in the first inning and seven more in the second.

  • Crochet threw 107 pitches in his prior start, his longest of the 2026 season.
  • Last year, Crochet saw a velocity dip in the start after throwing 102 pitches.

The players

Garrett Crochet

A $170 million left-handed ace for the Boston Red Sox who is coming off a top-two Cy Young finish the prior season.

Alex Cora

The manager of the Boston Red Sox.

Andrew Bailey

The pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox.

Victor Caratini

A Minnesota Twins player who hit a three-run homer off Crochet.

Ryan Kreidler

A Minnesota Twins player who hit a solo homer off Crochet.

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What they’re saying

“He's healthy, so that's the most important thing.”

— Alex Cora, Red Sox Manager

“Command as a whole has been spotty. I've gotten away with it a little this early in the year, but tonight, they made me pay. It was weak contact, hard contact, walks, hit by pitch — a little bit of everything.”

— Garrett Crochet

“You still have to cover innings and keep the bullpen fresh, knowing that there's two more games in the series.”

— Alex Cora, Red Sox Manager

“All the work has been very consistent between starts. He's been able to post, throw his bullpens, get all his good work in.”

— Andrew Bailey, Red Sox Pitching Coach

“I'm just going to flush it as best I can and move on to the next one.”

— Garrett Crochet

What’s next

Crochet is scheduled to start Sunday against the Tigers at Fenway Park. If last year's pattern holds, the Red Sox have reason to expect vintage Crochet in that one.

The takeaway

This case highlights the fine line between success and struggle for even the best pitchers in baseball. Crochet's velocity drop and poor command raise questions about his health and workload, but the Red Sox remain confident he can bounce back and regain his All-Star form.