Red Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet will not pitch in next week’s MLB All-Star Game in order to focus on resting up for the second half.
MLB announced the decision on Friday, and Crochet said he decided to pull out of the game so he can take advantage of the break and better prepare himself for a playoff push.
“This just makes sense for me and my ability to help the team to take the break that I’m given,” Crochet said. “It’s a huge honor to make the game, it’s a huge honor to play in the game, but I threw in it last year and that was really cool, it was a great experience, this year I just feel like I’m in a little bit of a different boat with playoff aspirations being on the line.”
Crochet is currently tied for the MLB lead in innings pitched (120.1) and is on pace to comfortably surpass his previous career-high in innings (146), which he set last year. That in itself was a massive jump from the 12.2 innings he threw in 2023 after missing 2022 entirely due to injury.
Crochet likely would have thrown significantly more innings last year had the White Sox not reduced his workload, limiting him to approximately four innings per start throughout the second half.
Following the blockbuster trade that brought Crochet to Boston and the subsequent six-year, $170 million extension he signed in April, the Red Sox have allowed him to pitch without restrictions and he has responded by delivering a Cy Young caliber season. As of this weekend Crochet ranks top-five in the American League in wins (9), ERA (2.39), pitcher WAR (3.5), strikeouts (151) and innings (120.1).
For a pitcher who has largely been spoken about as someone who could be capable of emerging as an ace or as someone with that kind of potential, Crochet said it’s been gratifying to step up and actually do it.
“It’s nice to reward a team that believed in me and dedicated a significant amount financially to me in that belief,” Crochet said. “So yeah, being able to do it already, it feels good but we have a lot of season left.”
Crochet still plans to attend the All-Star Game in Atlanta and take part in all of the festivities, but following his next start on Saturday he won’t take the mound again until the following Sunday, the final game of Boston’s upcoming series against the Chicago Cubs.
Detroit’s Casey Mize will replace Crochet on the American League All-Star Team’s roster.
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