Garrett Crochet’s shoulder is getting better. However, he still can’t pick up a baseball. On Monday, the Boston Red Sox ace failed a medical test. This failed test is a brutal setback for a team already stuck in last place.

“Despite the scheduled reevaluation of Garrett Crochet’s shoulder showing that he was ‘improving,’ he still isn’t ready to start throwing,” posted Tyler Milliken, quoting Tim Healey.

Garrett Crochet‘s injury was already a massive concern for the Red Sox, but the latest news makes things even worse. The left-hander has not pitched since April 25th after landing on the IL with shoulder inflammation. Then, just as he started using heavy training balls to rebuild strength in early June, he got hurt again. He strained a muscle in his back during rehab.

While the Red Sox hoped Monday’s reevaluation would finally clear him to begin throwing baseballs, that did not happen.

This setback is significant for his return timeline because things are not moving in the right direction at all. With Crochet throwing plyometric balls, he was expected to come back into the team just after the All-Star Break. At first, the Red Sox hoped he would pitch right after the All-Star break. Now, he still cannot even begin a real throwing program. This means he probably will not pitch again until August.

Before getting hurt, the former Cy Young runner-up was struggling badly. He had a high 6.30 ERA in six starts, giving up 21 runs in just 30 innings. Opponents consistently found success against him, and he never looked fully comfortable on the mound. Fans hoped the time off would help him fix his pitching motion and help him regain confidence.

Instead, this long delay is something they have seen before. Crochet also missed the entire 2022 season recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery. He has a tough history with long injury delays.

Boston’s pitching is falling apart without him. Sonny Gray is pitching well with a 3.12 ERA. Ranger Suárez is also doing great with a 2.93 ERA. But the other pitchers are struggling. Brayan Bello has struggled with a 6.34 ERA. The starting pitchers cannot stay in games for long. Because of this, the relief pitchers are very tired. Just recently, the tired relief pitchers blew a 2-0 lead in the ninth inning and lost 3-2 to the Colorado Rockies.

The Red Sox entered this stretch believing their rotation would be a strength, but it has been the complete opposite.

This is what makes his extended time on the IL worse for the Red Sox. Boston entered the week at 31-45, facing growing pressure ahead of the trade deadline and falling further behind in the postseason race, sitting 7 games behind a Wild Card spot.

Would a healthy Garrett Crochet solve all the problems? No. But he would surely help the rest of the rotation to perform better and give the team a frontline starter. Instead, the team is staring at more uncertainty while its season continues drifting away. For a club already searching for momentum, this latest setback may be one of the most damaging developments of the entire year.

And to make things worse, one of their pitchers is ready to leave the team.

Sonny Gray is ready to leave the Red Sox

Sonny Gray‘s 3.12 ERA across 69.1 innings has been one of the few bright spots for Boston this season. While the Red Sox entered the week with the second-worst record in the AL, Gray continued giving them chances to win most of the time. That combination has now made the veteran right-hander one of the more interesting names ahead of the trade deadline. And with Boston falling further from postseason contention, questions about Gray’s future are only growing louder.

“If someone came to me from the Red Sox and made a decision that that’s the direction that this team was going to go, I would be open for a conversation,” Gray told Tim Healey of the Boston Globe.

The comment immediately caught attention because Gray possesses a no-trade clause. Unlike many veterans who avoid discussing hypothetical moves, Gray made it clear he would at least listen. For a team that might look to be sellers during the deadline, flexibility becomes an important asset.

The situation is particularly notable because Gray arrived in Boston as part of a win-now move in November. The Red Sox got him from the Cardinals while sending pitchers Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke to St. Louis.

At that time, the Red Sox had no clue as to how bad the season would go and looked to only improve their pitching to make the push for the postseason. Instead, the season has unfolded in the opposite direction, with the Cardinals finding themselves in contention while the Red Sox are still trying to find a place to settle.

That reality for the Red Sox has only increased Gray’s value as the deadline inches closer. The 36-year-old is set to become a free agent after 2026, making him a short-term addition for any contender that needs some help in the rotation.

Teams such as the Blue Jays and Cubs could benefit from another experienced starter, especially with the Cubs holding a Wild Card spot. And if Boston ultimately decides its season cannot be salvaged, Gray may become one of the most sought-after rental pitchers available.