Red Sox fans flooded social media on Sunday, and they are openly calling out the front office. Another player just got hurt, and fans have lost all their patience. Interim manager Chad Tracy shared the bad news on Sunday about starter Garrett Crochet. Crochet just signed a huge 6-year, $170 million contract extension in March. Now, his recovery has hit a wall. Tracy said Crochet has a tight muscle in his back, called the lat.

“He will see doctors early this week, probably get an MRI, and won’t face batters Tuesday,” Tim Healey from the Boston Globe quoted the manager in his X post. 

Garret Crochet suffered from left shoulder inflammation and fatigue on April 29. The Red Sox had put him on a 15-day IL. According to the Boston Herald, there was steady progress. The pitcher even faced live batters on May 26 in a simulated game. Crochet was scheduled to improve his one inning to multiple this Tuesday before the tightness increased during the weekend. 

Notably, Crochet’s 2.59 ERA for the Red Sox last year helped him get the $170 million extension. But he started only 6 games (3-3 record), managing a 6.30 ERA before his injury. Now, Boston’s 3.85 ERA doesn’t reflect Crochet’s performance from this season. However, given their position in the AL (5th with 22-31), they need all hands on deck. 

“We’ve got to go out and win games, and we have guys in our rotation who have done a great job and are capable,” Tracy said. “We want him back, obviously. That’s disappointing, but in our mind we’ve just got to keep going.”

Boston was slowly increasing the number of pitches to help him recover. But even that has now proven counterproductive. However, Crochet himself isn’t ready to see it that way. 

“I still feel like I was a little ways off from a rehab start since it was very early in the build-up process,” the pitcher said. “That’s a pretty vulnerable time for the arm in general, so if it was going to happen at some point, I would expect it to happen right around now, which sucks. Just strengthen the arm and move on.”

And Crochet doesn’t even consider it a setback. While staying positive is good for the team, the fans are running out of patience with the medical staff and the front office. 

Garrett Crochet isn’t the only Red Sox player battling health issues

“What the hell is going on? This was supposed to be a precautionary get-right deal for his shoulder,” a fan asked what most fans have been wondering. 

Suffering an injury while trying to recover indicates inefficiency on the part of the medical staff. And the worst part is that Crochet isn’t the only case for Boston. 

“How do our injured players keep getting setbacks? Casas, Anthony, Crochet,” another fan questioned.

Triston Casas had a serious knee injury last May and joined the roster this season on a 10-Day IL. Unfortunately, he suffered a rib injury while rehabbing in Fort Myers. The Red Sox updated his status as 60-day IL after testing showed an abdominal strain. 

Then there is Roman Anthony. On May 4, he hurt his right hand. The team said it was a simple sprain. The team president even said there was no tear. But Anthony got hurt again while hitting off a tee. He later said he actually has a torn ligament in his finger. That proves the front office was wrong, and he will miss more time.

And for most fans, this is starting to look like a pattern. Injury is a huge part of baseball. But the frequency has gone up to a concerning level. 

Another Boston loyalist pointed out the obvious, saying, “I’ve never seen a team with more setbacks and injuries pop up.” And another comment read, “Anyone surprised. This is going to be another front office cover-up.”

The Red Sox currently have 12 players on the IL. Many of them had a setback midway through their recovery. They suspect the franchise of using the word ‘setback’ as a cover-up for poor injury management. 

“I absolutely hate that Crochet is out, but I would rather have him 100% than trying to come back a bit earlier,” wrote one fan. 

Many think that the franchise is rushing with injured players and increasing the risk in the process. They don’t see any other explanation for back-to-back setbacks in less than a month. 

Garrett Crochet suggested that his setback is very minor. Be that as it may, the fans still think that the front office is doing a subpar job. And given the season-long struggle, the management is practically asking for the criticism.