For Red Sox fans this season, already riding the struggle bus, well, it just hit another pothole.
Kutter Crawford, a guy who was supposed to be part of the cavalry coming to rescue Boston’s battered rotation, is likely out for the year. And not because of a game injury, not because of a freak play, but because, well, no one knows. The right-hander reportedly injured his wrist in an “off-field accident,” and that’s about all we’re getting. Manager Alex Cora is keeping this one tighter than Fenway traffic before a Yankees series.
“It’s not disappointing to the organization,” Cora said, which is coach-speak for, “We’re upset, but we’re not trying to fuel a tabloid frenzy.” He insists it was an accident, nothing irresponsible, nothing that will land Crawford on a “dumbest injuries in sports” list—yet. Still, no details? In a town like Boston, where fans dissect lineups and pitch counts like courtroom evidence? That silence is going to be loud.
Another Red Sox Comeback Story Cut Short
Here’s the twist of the knife: Crawford hadn’t pitched yet this season because of a knee issue. But there was hope. He was working back. Maybe July. The All-Star break may be possible—one of those second-half feel-good stories. However, the wrist injury is likely to close the door for good in 2025. Just brutal.
Last season, he led the American League in losses with 16. Sounds bad, right? But hold up—he wasn’t awful. He logged 183 innings (which is a workhorse load these days) and had a 4.36 ERA. That’s mid-rotation material in today’s MLB, especially for a Red Sox team that’s been relying on duct tape and prayers behind Brayan Bello and Garrett Crochet.
A Rotation Starved for Stability
And here’s where it stings: Boston needed someone like Crawford this year. The rest of the rotation has been a patchwork of inconsistency. If Crawford had come back in form—even average form—he could’ve brought some stability. Instead, it’s another “what if” on a team already drowning in them.
Crochet has been one of the few bright spots, and Bello shows promise, but they can’t do it all. Behind them? A carousel of question marks and short outings. Losing Crawford now means one fewer arm they could’ve leaned on and more pressure on a bullpen already stretched thinner than a cheap plastic tarp in a rainstorm.
Another Chapter in a Rough Year
So now it’s back to the drawing board. Or the waiver wire. I am crossing my fingers that the bullpen can pitch three innings a night without burning out by August. The Red Sox aren’t out of the fight yet, but their margin for error just got even thinner—and this latest injury feels like a gut punch to a team that didn’t have much wind left in the sails, to begin with.
For Red Sox Nation, this season’s bad-luck tour just added another stop.
