Red Sox Notes: Garrett Crochet’s stuff ‘terrible’ in loss, Carlos Narváez replacing injured starter, Bullpen updates

It was bitterly cold at Fenway Park on Tuesday night, and I’m not just talking about the Red Sox bats.

The game-time temperature at Fenway Park on Tuesday night was 35 degrees, the third coldest on record for a Red Sox home game, according to Baseball Reference.

Garrett Crochet was not going to let the elements get in the way of his home debut as a member of the Red Sox. The left-hander threw a career-high 107 pitches after his eight-inning gem he threw against the Orioles in his last start.

The big lefty didn’t have his best command in the Sox’ 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays on Tuesday night. Crochet made it clear after the game he wasn’t going to let the cold be the reason he didn’t have his best stuff.

“Terrible,” Crochet said when asked how he’d rate his stuff. “There really hasn't been a start this year where I feel like I've had my best stuff. Hopefully that's because I'm building, and they're all going to come later in the year. But just not getting to the glove side very well with the four-seam or the cutter, a lot of over-correcting with the two and just yanking and not really driving it there.”

Crochet has now made three starts for the Red Sox and has recorded a 1.45 ERA over that stretch.

If the cold wasn’t the issue, what was it?

“A little bit of everything,” Crochet said. “Whether I'm behind in the count, or with runners in scoring position, there are some times where I'm picking my shots to just get ahead here, and it's a passive approach, and not one that I'd like to take often, but tonight, it was just a gritty start.”

Errors didn’t help the Sox cause; Alex Bregman and Kristian Campbell both made throwing errors.

“He did a good job,” said Alex Cora. “Tough conditions. George [Springer] hits a homer, then we don’t make two plays. That was it. He did more than enough. He did a good job.”

Crochet felt his changeup was “pretty solid” but felt he didn’t use the pitch nearly enough.

“I'd like to have them all. The changeup has been pretty solid for me. I feel like there are times where I could use it a little bit more, but it's never been that pitch for me in the past, so it's hard to justify it. The cutter, I'm just leaving it with a lot of plate right now. The swing-and-miss cutter, the fine line, the shadow zone, and the strike-to-ball — I just don't have it right now. It feels like it's either overcorrect and yanked or it's a little too much plate.”

NEXT MAN UP

Red Sox catcher Connor Wong is out indefinitely after he fractured his left pinky in the team’s loss on Monday night. Despite being without Wong for the foreseeable future, the Sox have a plan for what they’ll do behind the plate.

Backup Carlos Narváez, who started four of the first 11 games, will be the starter.

“Carlos is going to play a lot,” said Cora.

The 26-year-old is batting .300 (6-for-20) with three doubles, four RBI, four walks, and just three strikeouts in 22 plate appearances. Defensively, Statcast ranks him in the 93rd percentile in blocks and in the 72nd percentile in framing.

“I take this seriously,” he said. “Forget about experience, forget about if I’m young or whatever. I’ve always been accountable; I’ve always done my work before the game.

“Even if I’m catching or not, I’m always focused, prepared to help the guys catching — if it’s in that case Connor or when Blake’s catching —I’m going to be ready with all the reports, all the suggestions that I can.”

Prior to joining the Red Sox this offseason, Narváez cracked the bigs with the Yankees last season, playing in six games with the Yankees. He went 3-for-13 with three singles, two walks, and six strikeouts.

Narváez was considered one of the best defensive catchers in the Yankees’ system entering the 2024 campaign. In his limited stint at the big league level, his pop time was 1.92, according to Baseball Savant. Narváez's bat is less reliable than his defensive profile. He was in the 90th percentile in exit velocity at 105.2 mph while missing 31% of the time.

The Sox called up catcher Blake Sabol from Triple-A Worcester. Sabol can provide the team with versatility by serving as both a catcher and an outfield player when necessary.

Boston acquired Sabol from the Giants over the offseason, and he has played in 121 Major League games over the last two seasons.

For the 2024 season, he went 10-for-32 (.313) while slashing .421/.375/.796 with two doubles, one RBI, five walks, and nine strikeouts in 11 games. He played 100 games in the Giants system in 2024, hitting .245 with 12 homers, 15 doubles, one triple, 58 RBI, 48 walks, and 11 stolen bases.

There’s no timetable for how long the Red Sox will be without Wong. He fractured the pinky when Springer’s swing connected with Wong’s glove, causing catcher interference. 

“I’m obviously frustrated,” said Wong. “I feel like that’s something we go over, who the potential catcher's interference people are. I knew that going in [against Springer]. I felt like I was in a good spot and [it was] just bad luck I think.”

The injury is considered minor, but the team will wait for his bone to fully heal before he returns to game action.

“It’s a fracture, so we’ll take a look on a weekly basis. It’s a very small one,” said Cora. “The hand specialist was explaining to me that it’s the best-case scenario, so hopefully he’ll be back with us sooner rather than later.”

The minors lack depth at the position. Veteran catcher Seby Zavala is in Triple-A and has 194 MLB games under his belt. Boston also has Mark Kolozsvary in the system at Double-A Portland, but he’s expected to see time at Worcester before getting a look at the Sox’ 26-man roster.

EXTERNAL OPTIONS?

The Red Sox could opt to look externally for additional catching help, similar to what they did last season after Triston Casas went down with his rib cage injury. Boston signed Dom Smith and traded for Garrett Cooper to platoon at first base before ultimately cutting ties with Cooper. 

The free agent catching market is thin; the Sox could reach out to veterans Yasmani Grandal and Yan Gomes, but both would need some ramp-up time before starting with the Red Sox. The club could wait for the May 1 opt-out period that veterans who are currently in Triple-A or they could swing a trade. 

JOSH WINCKOWSKI BACK IN BOSTON

The club designated Robert Stock for assignment, one day after he pitched in the series opener with the Blue Jays. Josh Winckowski is back with the Red Sox after starting the season with Triple-A Worcester.

Winckowski made his season debut in the loss to Toronto, tossing 1 2/3 innings with one strikeout and hitting one batter.

The 26-year-old has allowed four runs (three earned runs), 12 hits (one homer), and one walk while striking out nine in six innings (two relief appearances) for the WooSox this season.

Winckowski had a rough spring, giving up 12 runs, 15 hits (two homers), and six walks while striking out four in seven innings. While in Worcester, he was used out of the bullpen, and he will be a bulk reliever with Boston.

“Multiple innings,” Cora said. “This week with the doubleheader, kind of like the revolving door.”

The right-handed reliever has been working on a new slider and has been throwing his four-seam fastball more.

“Wink is a good pitcher,” Cora said. “He helped us out a lot the last few years. He struggled spring training. I think as far as like his repertoire, it’s been a mix of east/west. Now we want to go north/south. The slider, kind of get it down there. The four-seamer, we added. We’ll see how it goes.”

Winckowski has been one of the Red Sox' most used relievers, tossing 83 1/3 innings since 2023. He’s also made 21 starts over the last three seasons. He struggled at times, resulting in being optioned to Triple-A Worcester.

“One thing I’m gonna tell him, we gotta compete,” Cora added. “Like at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter — just throw that stuff over the plate and get people out. And he’s done it before. I just don’t want him to get caught up in the whole thing. ‘I just got called up. What I’m gonna do?’ Just whenever they call your name, go out there and compete. And he’s done it before."

HENDRIKS UPDATE

Liam Hendriks (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment on Thursday in Worcester, Cora told reporters. He threw a 30-pitch bullpen session Monday in Worcester, mixing sliders, fastballs, and curveballs. Hendriks was in Boston on Tuesday but will head to Polar Park and begin his rehab.

Hendricks visited Dr. Keith Meister in Texas last month and received a cortisone shot for a compressed nerve.

“This probably is the longest stretch in a long time where I haven’t felt anything—pre-surgery, post-surgery, spring training,” Hendriks said. “I just wish, in my own head, that I wasn’t trying to push through and trying to trick myself into feeling good in spring. Because I think this is something that, if we had a handle on it at the start of spring, like it would have been a nonissue.”

LUCAS GIOLITO and BRAYAN BELLO UPDATES

Lucas Giolito will pitch for the WooSox in the second game of their day/night doubleheader from Polar Park on Wednesday night.

He pitched in Jacksonville last week and threw 2 1/3 scoreless frames, averaging 93.2 mph, while topping out at 94.7 mph. The Red Sox haven’t said whether he will need another rehab start before joining the club in Boston.

Brayan Bello is coming off pitching in Jacksonville, where he went 2 1/3 innings with five strikeouts. He will pitch Friday night at Polar Park, and then the team will assess where the right-hander is at following the outing.

“Feeling good. Everybody was excited about yesterday,” Cora said last week in Baltimore following Bello’s outing.