ANAHEIM, Calif. — Kutter Crawford’s season is very likely over before it began.
Crawford, who led the Red Sox in both starts and innings pitched in 2024, had been sidelined with patellar tendinitis and rehabbing at the team’s spring training complex in Fort Myers.
His knee was improving, but he also suffered an off-field wrist injury that will now require surgery. The surgical procedure will “most likely” mean an end to his season, Alex Cora said.
“It sucks, right, because we were talking about how deep we were in spring training and the options that we had in the starting rotation,” said Cora, “and now it’s getting thinner and thinner. We’ll have more details when we get to Boston.
“I’m not going to go into details, but this was an off-the-field injury.”
Cora said he texted with Crawford early Wednesday, and described the pitcher as understandably “down.”
“It’s been a tough year for him,” said Cora. “From spring training to getting ready then for this to happen and now surgery, it hasn’t been a great year for him.”
Cora emphasized that the nature of the injury was the result of an accident and not anything “irresponsible” on the part of Crawford.
“It’s not disappointing; it’s just an accident,” he said. “It just sucks that it happened this way. I’m not going to get into details, but it wasn’t irresponsible.”
Crawford’s surgery indeed weakens the team depth, which, early in the season was sufficient enough for the Red Sox to trade Quinn Priester to Milwaukee.
The team has a number of starting pitching options currently rehabbing, including Hunter Dobbins and Tanner Houck, both of whom have been dealing with elbow/forearm concerns.
Houck has made two rehab starts for Worcester with poor results. Dobbins, who was placed on the IL over the weekend after starting last Friday in San Francisco, is with the team here and played catch at Angel Stadium Wednesday morning.
The current plan is for him to throw a bullpen at Fenway over the weekend.