Red Sox Notes: Crochet, Houck, Slaten

Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet and right-hander Tanner Houck are both hoping to make it back to the mound this season, likely as relievers, per Tim Healey of the Boston Globe. Crochet is throwing a bullpen session today — his second since being cleared for mound work — and could be ready for the first round of the playoffs if he can avoid any setbacks. Houck is further ahead in his own rehab work; he’ll throw around 20 pitches in a Double-A rehab game today. Crochet hit the injured list early this season due to shoulder inflammation. As he worked his way through rehab from a seemingly innocuous injury, he suffered a lat strain. That setback has led to what’s now a five-month stint on the injured list for the 2025 American League Cy Young runner-up. The 27-year-old Crochet tossed a career-high 205 1/3 innings last season en route to a 2.59 ERA. He fanned more than 31% of his opponents with a sub-6% walk rate and a strong ground-ball rate. Crochet did everything well and did so with the type of volume that’s rare in today’s game of shorter starts and deep bullpens. He’s sitting on a 6.30 ERA in his six starts this season, however, although that’s largely attributable to one nightmare outing in Minnesota that saw the Twins ambush him for 11 runs (10 earned) in just 1 2/3 innings. Crochet notes to Healey that his preparation for a postseason bullpen return feels familiar — harkening back to his big league debut, which came during the White Sox’ postseason push back in 2020. A then-21-year-old Crochet had been drafted just a few months prior, but with no minor league season in 2020 and the lefty standing as a polished college arm, the Sox hot-shotted him to the big leagues and found plenty of success. He fired six shutout innings with only three hits and no walks allowed, punching out eight batters along the way. He faced two batters in Chicago’s brief postseason stint, striking both out. Whether he can reprise that type of return in 2026 will go a long way toward dictating how Boston fares during the playoffs this time around. As for Houck, he’s on the mend from 2025 Tommy John surgery. He’s never pitched like the full-fledged ace Crochet was in 2025, but the 30-year-old Houck did notch 178 2/3 innings of 3.12 ERA ball for the 2024 Red Sox. That year’s 20.7% strikeout rate was a couple ticks shy of average, but Houck offset the lack of missed bats with a very strong 6.5% walk rate and an elite 55.9% ground-ball rate. Last year, prior to surgery, Houck made nine starts and was tagged for nearly a run per inning. If all goes well today, Houck is slated to throw around 45 pitches in Double-A on Friday. He’d then head to Triple-A Worcester for another appearance. Given that schedule, there’s a real chance Houck is back before the regular season draws to a close. The news on righty Justin Slaten, unfortunately, is less encouraging. Interim manager Chad Tracy told the Sox beat that Slaten resumed throwing recently and, after some initially positive signs, experienced the same symptoms that sent him to the IL in the first place (via Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald). Slaten, 28, landed on the injured list in mid-August after experiencing discomfort in his elbow. He was diagnosed with inflammation, and the symptom-free start to his throwing program created optimism about a quick return. There’s currently no timetable for his return, but he’s been shut down for the time being. Slaten has yet to recreate the 2.93 ERA he posted in 55 1/3 innings as a rookie in 2024, combining for a 4.41 ERA in 65 1/3 innings since. This year’s 28.5% strikeout rate stands as a career-high mark, creating some optimism for improvement on his middling earned run average, though that comes in spite of a career-low 12% swinging-strike rate (which is still well above the league average). Slaten has added a sinker, ramped up the use of his cutter and near-entirely scrapped his changeup. The changes have produced more called strikes within the zone but a higher opponents’ contact rate when they do offer at his pitches. The uncertain nature of Slaten’s status would make returns from Crochet and/or Houck all the more notable. Right now, the Sox are piecing the ‘pen together, relying on largely unproven arms like Wyatt Olds, Raymond Burgos and Alec Gamboa in the middle innings. Erik Miller has been great since coming over in a trade with the Giants, and the Aroldis Chapman/Garrett Whitlock pairing has been dominant all season. Still, getting some mix of a healthy Crochet, Houck and/or Slaten would make the relief corps more imposing on the whole as the resurgent Red Sox march toward the playoffs.