FORT MYERS, Fla. — It’s been a long time since Kutter Crawford or Patrick Sandoval took the mound in a big league game, and so far the two veterans haven’t taken the field with their teammates through the first week of Grapefruit League play.
But behind the scenes the pair have continued to make progress.
Crawford and Sandoval each threw live batting practice at the Fenway South complex on Friday, which Red Sox manager Alex Cora said went very well. Sandoval threw two innings and is expected to throw more multiple-inning bullpens next week, and Crawford faced live hitters for the first time and will advance to two innings next time up.
Even though both acknowledged they are behind the other starters who have already appeared in games, Sandoval and Crawford said Saturday they haven’t ruled out being ready for Opening Day.
“I’m not too far behind I don’t think,” Sandoval said. “Opening Day should not be out of the question.”
“I don’t want to say I’m not going to be on Opening Day, I don’t want to say I am going to be on Opening Day either,” Crawford said. “If I’m not, I don’t think it’s going to be much longer after Opening Day for sure, but I plan on spending the majority of the season with the team.”
Sandoval joined the Red Sox before the 2025 season on a two-year deal after undergoing Tommy John surgery the prior June. The 29-year-old left-hander spent the entire year rehabbing and has been brought along slowly this spring as he ramps up for the new season.
Even though he didn’t pitch Sandoval was a regular presence around the Red Sox clubhouse, and now he’s excited for the opportunity to actually join his teammates on the field.
“It’s good to go through all the drills and go through camp with the guys knowing I can contribute this year,” Sandoval said. “It’s just good to be around the guys and doing baseball activity with the rest of the guys and not being isolated in my own rehab area.”
Crawford also missed the entire 2025 season due to injury, first because of a lingering knee injury that he’d pitched through all throughout the prior season and then after suffering a wrist injury during a freak accident at home over the summer.
After making a team-high 33 starts for the Red Sox in 2024, the 29-year-old righty spent the vast majority of last season in Fort Myers.
“Last year I spent most of my time here rehabbing so I wasn’t with the team, with the fellas in the clubhouse chopping it up,” Crawford said. “Having everybody here I’m able to spend time with them and (joke around) and laugh and cut up, it’s a great feeling and it feels good to be around all the guys again.”
Even once they have caught up, it’s unclear what role Sandoval and Crawford will have on this year’s team. There is already a fierce competition underway for the final starting rotation spot, with Johan Oviedo, Connelly Early and Payton Tolle the early frontrunners. The Red Sox also have four off days over the first 22 days of the regular season, so the club may not even need a No. 5 starter for the first month.
But whether it’s in the rotation, the bullpen or some other capacity, Crawford and Sandoval appear to finally be trending towards a return.
No update on Rodgers
The Red Sox are still trying to determine the extent of infielder Brendan Rodgers’ right shoulder injury, but Cora acknowledged Saturday that the Gold Glove winner will likely be sidelined for a while.
“He had a CT scan yesterday, we’ll get the results probably today or tomorrow, but it doesn’t look great,” Cora said. “We have to make sure we go through all the steps and we’ll know either tonight or tomorrow what’s the next step. But he’ll miss some time.”
Rodgers suffered the injury on Wednesday reaching for the ball on the ground after making a diving stop. The 29-year-old has dealt with numerous significant shoulder injuries throughout his career and was hoping to make the big league club as a non-roster invitee this spring.
Extra innings
Left-hander Alec Gamboa is dealing with an elbow issue and will be shut down for three more days, Cora said. The club will reassess midweek to determine his next steps. … Infielder Mikey Romero has a tight back and will be shut down through the weekend. Cora said they hope he’s good to go by Monday, and Romero, who has dealt with significant back issues in the past, said it’s nothing major and he isn’t concerned.
