MLB Notebook: MLB Notebook: Crochet, Houck eye returns; Ohtani ailing and bizarre hat controversy

For most of the season, the Red Sox have been forced to figure out ways to survive an ever-growing list of pitching injuries.

Now, with September underway and the postseason approaching, some significant reinforcements could finally be coming back.

Garrett Crochet and Tanner Houck are both making meaningful progress in their respective rehabs, raising the possibility that two pitchers Boston once envisioned near the top of its rotation could instead become late-season weapons out of the bullpen.

As the Sox look to get back Crochet, even though he'll be less than his dominant self, and Houck, right-hander Johan Oviedo isn’t far behind, either.

Crochet reached perhaps the most important checkpoint of his lengthy recovery Friday when he threw 16 pitches, all fastballs, in his first bullpen session in nearly three months.

The 27-year-old hasn’t appeared in a game since throwing six scoreless innings against Baltimore on April 25. What was initially diagnosed as left shoulder inflammation proved more troublesome than expected. Crochet began ramping up earlier this season and reached the mound in May before experiencing another setback.

“The fact that he got on the mound today and threw is a really, really good sign,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “See how he comes in tomorrow will be an important piece of it. When he comes in tomorrow, does he feel anything, any lingering effects that are going to slow down or does he feel really good? And then you can proceed.

“But I think the fact that all the work he’s put in, the fact that he got off the mound today and threw a bullpen is a really, really good sign. And I know that doesn’t necessarily answer the question [if he will be back]. It’s hard to say at this point, but I think the fact that he’s throwing sides right now, the goal is to get him out there before the end of the season if we can, but we got more boxes to check.”

Crochet is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Tuesday if he responds well.

The calendar makes a return to Boston’s rotation unrealistic. There simply isn’t enough time to safely build Crochet back up to a starter’s workload before the end of the regular season.

The bullpen, however, is another story, and the left-hander has plenty of experience in that role from his time in Chicago.

Before transitioning to the White Sox rotation in 2024, Crochet spent his early major league career working primarily in relief. If he’s healthy enough to return later this month, a short-relief role represents the most logical path for Boston to get its ace back on the mound without rushing his workload.

Even a limited version of Crochet could give the Red Sox an intriguing weapon in October.

The left-hander finished second to Tarik Skubal in the 2025 AL Cy Young Award voting after posting a 2.59 ERA and a major league-best 255 strikeouts over 205 1/3 innings. His 2026 season didn’t go nearly as smoothly before the injury, as Crochet went 3-3 with a 6.30 ERA over six starts.

Houck is even further along after throwing two innings in a simulated game Friday in Fort Myers and, pending how he responds, is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Portland on Tuesday.

Houck underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2025 and hasn’t pitched in the majors since May 12 of last season. Like Crochet, there isn’t enough time remaining to stretch him back out as a starter.

Boston instead hopes to build Houck toward a two-inning, approximately 45-pitch workload.

Before becoming a full-time starter, Houck made 33 relief appearances between 2021 and 2022. In 2022, he posted a 3.15 ERA over 32 appearances, including four starts.

Houck struggled to an 8.04 ERA over nine appearances in 2025 before undergoing surgery, but one year earlier he was an All-Star and one of the American League’s better starters. He posted a 3.12 ERA over 30 starts in 2024, striking out 154 while walking 48 over 178 2/3 innings.

“As you get beat up and you need help, having guys of that caliber of big-league talent, if you can get them there, it would be important down the stretch,” Tracy said.

Oviedo could provide another option for the Sox. 

The right-hander, acquired from Pittsburgh in December and originally part of Boston’s fifth-starter competition, has been sidelined since the beginning of the season with a right arm injury. He faced hitters Friday and is scheduled to throw a side session Tuesday.

If everything continues progressing, Oviedo could begin a minor league rehab assignment late next week.

“Oviedo also threw today [against hitters], and I think he’d be scheduled for another side on Tuesday,” Tracy said. “And then looking towards the end of next week, if everything goes well with him, he could potentially do a rehab game or something like that. All those guys threw and are trending well.”

The news isn’t as encouraging for right-handed reliever Justin Slaten.

Slaten continues to experience elbow soreness, forcing the Red Sox to adjust his rehab progression. He’s currently on the injured list for the second time this season after posting a 4.60 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 39 strikeouts against eight walks over 31 1/3 innings.

There remains plenty of uncertainty with all four pitchers. Crochet still needs to clear several significant checkpoints before the Red Sox can seriously consider him an option for the 26-man roster, let alone the postseason. Houck hasn’t pitched in a major league game in nearly 16 months but would be a perfect late-inning option for Boston. 

At this point in the calendar, getting either Crochet or Houck back as a multi-inning or high-leverage bullpen weapon could be enough.

And after spending much of the summer watching its pitching depth disappear, the possibility of adding arms of that caliber for the stretch run would be a welcome reversal.

Hat's Enough

Home-plate umpire Doug Eddings found himself at the center of a bizarre controversy Friday night, and it all started with the way a pitcher was wearing his hat.

Cardinals manager Oli Marmol was ejected during St. Louis’ 7-6 victory over the Rockies at Coors Field after taking exception to Eddings instructing rookie reliever Hancel Rincon to straighten his cap during his major league debut.

Rincon entered in the sixth inning with St. Louis leading 4-1. While he faced Cole Carrigg, Eddings stopped play with the count 2-0 and motioned toward Cardinals catcher Leo Bernal. Rincon then adjusted his cap.

According to Eddings, the request originated with Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman.

“The batter said, ‘Hey, can he wear his hat like that?’” Eddings said after the game. “I really didn’t know, but it was really, really crooked. I asked the catcher to tell him to straighten his hat out, and the pitcher did. Nobody said anything until he gave up a couple runs.”

On Saturday, Goodman told MLB.com and other Denver media that he did not say anything to Eddings about the hat being tilted. 

That’s when an already strange situation became even stranger.

Carrigg hit an inside-the-park home run three pitches later, and Connor Norby followed with a single, prompting Marmol to replace Rincon with Justin Bruihl.

While Bruihl warmed up, an angry Marmol approached Eddings and appeared to adjust his own cap while arguing with the umpire. Eddings ejected Marmol and also assessed a pitch-clock violation, meaning Rockies designated hitter Troy Johnston began his plate appearance against Bruihl with a 1-0 count.

Marmol didn’t hide his frustration after the game.

“Some words exchanged there. Quite honestly, I thought it was pretty embarrassing on his end,” Marmol said to reporters. “We have a kid making his debut, and in between an at-bat, he tells him that he needs to fix his hat and, ‘The kid’s not going to wear his hat like that on my field.’ Last I checked, this is Coors Field, so I took issue with it.”

Marmol was equally unhappy with the pitch-clock violation.

“And then the pitch violation while I’m out there having a discussion, that’s also stupid, in my opinion,” Marmol said. “So there’s a lot of moving parts to that one. At the end of the day, I thought they handled it poorly, and I’d like an explanation at some point.”

The Cardinals’ broadcast crew was similarly baffled.

Brad Thompson called it an “embarrassment” if Eddings’ request was solely about how Rincon wore his cap, arguing it wasn’t the umpire’s responsibility to police the angle of a player’s hat.

“Sometimes umpires think it’s their game, their field,” play-by-play broadcaster Chip Caray said. “It’s not. They are the officials. They’re in charge, but it’s a player’s game, I thought.”

It wasn’t Eddings’ only eventful moment of the inning.

Earlier, St. Louis unsuccessfully challenged a play at third on TJ Rumfield’s triple, with Eddings emphatically announcing that the call had been confirmed and the Cardinals had lost their challenge. Later in the inning, Johnston scored on Zac Veen’s sacrifice bunt on a close play at the plate.

If Eddings had an issue with the way Rincon wore his hat, he probably wouldn’t have been a fan of former major league reliever Fernando Rodney.

Rodney famously wore his cap tilted to the left throughout his career as a tribute to his late father, Ulise, a fisherman in the Dominican Republic who wore his own hats tilted to the side. After his father died, Rodney continued the look as a way of honoring him.

Long Road Back

The Red Sox parted with a significant amount of pitching depth during an aggressive offseason, but one of the arms they traded away won’t be pitching again anytime soon.

Former Boston right-hander Hunter Dobbins underwent reconstructive surgery on his right elbow Sept. 2 after landing on the Cardinals’ injured list with forearm tightness, putting the 27-year-old in line for another lengthy rehabilitation.

It’s an especially difficult development for Dobbins because this isn’t his first time through the process. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021, making this the second reconstructive procedure on his right elbow.

The Cardinals expect his latest recovery to take approximately 12 months. Given the timing of the surgery and the lengthy buildup required for a starting pitcher, Dobbins’ next major league start could potentially be pushed all the way into 2028.

Dobbins’ injury occurred Aug. 21 against the Phillies. He entered the start experiencing some forearm tightness during warmups, something he said wasn’t necessarily unusual for him, but this time the discomfort didn’t subside as he pitched. He eventually exited in the fifth inning after throwing a 92.5 mph fastball to Trea Turner.

St. Louis placed him on the 15-day injured list the following day.

It’s another significant setback in what has already been an injury-filled start to Dobbins’ major league career.

The Red Sox traded Dobbins, along with two prospects, to St. Louis during the offseason in the deal that brought Willson Contreras to Boston. At the time, Dobbins was already recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL suffered in July 2025.

He began this season on the injured list before eventually returning to the mound. Once healthy, Dobbins bounced between St. Louis and Triple-A, getting optioned and recalled four times between May and August.

Despite the lack of a consistent role, he pitched well when given opportunities. Dobbins posted a 3.67 ERA and 1.35 WHIP over 54 major league innings, striking out 52 and walking 24. He relied on a six-pitch mix and showed an improved ability to miss bats compared with his rookie season in Boston.

He was beginning to establish himself as a capable back-end rotation option. Now he’ll have to go through another extensive rehabilitation before getting another opportunity to prove he can sustain that success over a full major league season.

The injury also adds another layer to a trade that has already worked heavily in Boston’s favor.

Contreras has been one of the driving forces behind the Red Sox turnaround, providing the middle-of-the-order production and veteran presence Boston hoped it was acquiring. He’s also emerged as a leader on a roster increasingly built around younger players.

That production has made the cost easier to swallow, even as Boston’s own rotation depth has been tested.

Dobbins was one of several pitchers the Red Sox moved over the past year, joining Richard Fitts, Tyler Uberstine and David Sandlin, among others. That depth would ordinarily look particularly valuable now with Boston trying to navigate September while several starters deal with injuries or fatigue.

Dobbins' latest injury means the Red Sox won’t have to wonder what might have been had they kept him, at least in the short term. And with Contreras producing at the heart of Boston’s lineup, the early returns from the trade remain firmly in the Red Sox’ favor.

The righty has already worked his way back from Tommy John surgery once, then battled through a torn ACL to return to a major league mound this season. Now another long rehabilitation awaits before he’ll get his next opportunity.

Ohtani Ailing

The Dodgers remain hopeful Shohei Ohtani can avoid the injured list, but that possibility is becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss.

Ohtani was out of Los Angeles’ starting lineup for a second consecutive game Friday against the Nationals as the two-way superstar continues to deal with a collection of nagging physical issues.

It marked the first time this season Ohtani hasn’t started in back-to-back games. Earlier this year, the Dodgers gave him a two-game break from hitting, but one of those came on a day he started on the mound.

For now, Ohtani remains day-to-day. He did not participate in baseball activities Thursday and was expected to go through only light work Friday.

The Dodgers haven’t reached the point where an injured-list stint is inevitable, but manager Dave Roberts acknowledged it could become a more realistic option if Ohtani continues to require time away from the lineup.

That’s a significant change from Thursday, when general manager Brandon Gomes said an IL stint wasn’t a serious consideration. The Dodgers weren’t convinced the benefit of additional rest outweighed losing Ohtani for at least 10 days.

Since restarting his throwing program Aug. 8, Ohtani is batting just .204 (19-for-93) with a .704 OPS and 32 strikeouts.

Ohtani went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts Wednesday and showed visible discomfort during the game. Roberts later revealed that Ohtani had been bothered by his neck.

It’s the latest in a series of physical issues Ohtani has dealt with dating back to June.

Left knee soreness has been the primary reason he hasn’t pitched since July 3. A right biceps issue initially bothered him at the plate before also impacting his attempt to ramp back up on the mound. Now the neck discomfort has added another concern.

Despite everything, Ohtani still owns a .906 OPS with 30 home runs this season while posting a 1.79 ERA across 14 starts on the mound.

But with the postseason approaching, the Dodgers have to weigh the value of keeping Ohtani available on a day-to-day basis against the possibility that a longer period of rest could leave him healthier for October.

Ohtani hasn’t spoken publicly about his condition recently, having declined multiple requests for comment since last addressing reporters Aug. 17 in Colorado.

For now, the Dodgers will continue conversations between Ohtani, Roberts and the medical staff before determining the next step. 

Kroenke's Kingdom

Stan Kroenke has spent decades building one of the most valuable sports empires in the world.

Kroenke has agreed to purchase a controlling interest in the Los Angeles Angels from longtime owner Arte Moreno in a deal valuing the franchise at $4 billion. Pending approval from Major League Baseball, the transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2027.

The purchase would give Kroenke something no other owner has accomplished. He will control a franchise in each of America’s four major professional sports leagues, MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL.

Kroenke’s full name is Enos Stanley Kroenke. He was named after Cardinals legends Enos Slaughter and Stan Musial. Now, at 79, he’s poised to own a major league team himself.

“The Angels are a storied franchise anchored in a great market,” Kroenke said in a statement. “We look forward to an exciting future with the Angels organization.”

The Angels would join a Kroenke Sports & Entertainment portfolio that already includes the Los Angeles Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Arsenal of the English Premier League, Colorado Rapids of MLS and Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League.

Using the most recent Forbes valuations, including its $2.8 billion estimate for the Angels, Kroenke’s collection of teams is worth about $25.7 billion.

That’s considerably more than some of the other prominent multi-team ownership portfolios in professional sports. Josh Harris’ stakes in the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils combine for approximately $15.5 billion, while the Glazer family’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Manchester United holdings total approximately $13.8 billion.

Madison Square Garden Sports’ Knicks and Rangers aren’t far behind at $13.75 billion.

The Angels would become the fourth-most valuable franchise in Kroenke’s portfolio, trailing the Rams, Arsenal and Nuggets.

The $4 billion valuation exceeds Forbes’ $2.8 billion estimate by $1.2 billion and would surpass the $3.9 billion sale of the Padres earlier this year as the highest valuation for an MLB franchise sale.

Before the sale can become final, it must first be reviewed by MLB’s executive ownership committee before going to a vote among the league’s owners. At least 75%, 23 of the other 29 clubs, must approve the purchase.

Given Kroenke’s extensive history owning professional sports franchises, the financial component isn’t expected to present a significant obstacle.

If approved, the deal will end Moreno’s more than two-decade run as Angels owner.

Moreno, 80, purchased the franchise from The Walt Disney Co. in 2003, shortly after the Angels won their first World Series championship. The early portion of his tenure included considerable success.

The Angels won five AL West championships during a six-year stretch from 2004-09 and drew at least 3 million fans every season from 2003 through 2019. They also landed stars such as Vladimir Guerrero, Bartolo Colon, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.

The Angels have reached the postseason only once since 2010 and have now secured an 11th consecutive losing season. Even having Mike Trout and, for six seasons, Shohei Ohtani wasn’t enough to turn the franchise into a consistent contender.

Moreno increasingly became a target of criticism for his involvement in baseball operations and the organization’s lack of investment in infrastructure. “Sell the team” chants have become commonplace at Angel Stadium this season.

Moreno announced in August 2022 that he was exploring a sale before reversing course nine months later and retaining ownership. Kroenke’s track record will naturally create expectations in Anaheim.

Four of the organizations under his ownership have won championships in their respective sports over the past five years. With the Rams, Kroenke also demonstrated a willingness to make enormous investments outside the roster, most notably developing SoFi Stadium and the surrounding 300-acre sports and entertainment complex in Inglewood.

The Angels haven’t played a postseason game in more than a decade, have struggled to construct a winner around generational talent and will require Kroenke’s organization to determine how aggressively it wants to overhaul the franchise’s baseball infrastructure.

There were already signs of organizational change before the sale. Former Cardinals baseball operations executive John Mozeliak was brought aboard as a consultant and given significant influence over personnel decisions and the direction of the front office and coaching staff.

Around the League

Money Ball

Dodgers owner Mark Walter is facing renewed scrutiny over financial dealings connected to the franchise and its lucrative television agreement.

The Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, citing reporting from Hunterbrook Media, reported that EquiTrust, an insurance company then affiliated with Walter’s Guggenheim Partners, loaned $350 million in 2014 to a Walter-controlled company that owned SportsNet LA. The loan reportedly was not disclosed as a transaction between affiliated entities.

The loan came as the Dodgers’ record $8.35 billion television deal with Time Warner was taking effect. That agreement, which guaranteed the club more than $330 million annually in local media revenue, has helped fuel the Dodgers’ massive spending in recent years.

The report also detailed connections between people involved in Walter’s purchase of the Dodgers, the television agreement and Guggenheim. Magic Johnson, a minority Dodgers owner, became controlling shareholder of EquiTrust in 2014, while former Time Warner executive David Rone later became a senior Guggenheim executive.

Walter is already the subject of federal scrutiny involving billions of dollars in loans connected to insurance companies he owns. The Walter Group has denied any suggestion that Walter improperly financed his purchase or operation of the Dodgers.

“The allegation that the Los Angeles Dodgers were acquired or have been funded improperly is false and not supported by facts,” the company said in an Aug. 26 statement.

Standing O

Orioles' fans saluted Adley Rutschman on Thursday night. The former Baltimore catcher received a standing ovation in his first game back at Camden Yards. He walked to the plate with his old walk-up sing, Kid Cudi's "Alive," and then stepped out of the batter's box to acknowledge, removed his helmet and acknowledged the crowd.

“It was special, just to kind of feel that love,” Rutschman said. “It was really cool. Emotional moment, and really special. A really, really special moment.” 

The new Sox' catcher went on to hit two homers in his first game back in Baltimore. 

Waiver Claim

The Orioles added another veteran bat for the stretch run, claiming outfielder Luis Robert Jr. off waivers from the Mets.

The Padres also submitted a claim, but Baltimore received priority because of its worse record. The Orioles will assume roughly $3 million remaining on Robert’s $20 million salary this season.

Baltimore will also be responsible for a $2 million buyout if it declines Robert’s $20 million club option for 2027.

If the Orioles elect not to retain him, Robert would enter a free-agent outfield class that also includes Randy Arozarena, Seiya Suzuki and Tanner Ward.

Dugout Dads

More than three decades after The Sandlot became a sports movie classic, much of the gang is back together, only this time, they’re the adults causing problems around the ballfield.

“Dugout Dads,” a new nine-episode short-form comedy that debuted on Aug. 26, is a series from Patrick Renna and Kyle Howard’s Hambino Media, reunites several members of the cast of the 1993 film for a new story centered around youth baseball.

Renna is joined by Tom Guiry, Chauncey Leopardi, Marty York, Brandon Quintin Adams, Victor DiMattia, Shane Obedzinski, Grant Gelt and Will Horneff, along with Michael Pena. Danielle Fishel plays the wife of Renna’s character.

The series follows an idealistic father, played by Renna, who volunteers to coach his child’s Little League team and quickly discovers the real challenge isn’t managing a group of 10-year-olds. It’s dealing with the coaches and parents surrounding them.

The project is also getting some significant backing as its creators look to turn the reunion into something bigger.

NBA All-Star Chris Paul and his brother, CJ Paul, have joined “Dugout Dads” as executive producers through Ohh Dip!!! Entertainment, the production company they formed with documentary studio Words + Pictures.

The “Dugout Dads” team views the initial collection of short-form episodes almost as a preseason, with hopes that the project can eventually be expanded into a full-length series.

The series was written by Sebastian Jones and Dan Kopelman and directed by Victor Nelli Jr., with Victoria Fradkin producing.

Quick Hits

- Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is scheduled to face live pitching on Monday. He is working his way back from a rib injury and looking to rejoin the Bronx Bombers before the end of the season.

- New York placed outfielder Trent Grisham on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring injury. 

- Reds third baseman Eugenio Suárez officially passed his U.S. naturalization test in early September 2026. This comes days after he was placed on waivers by the Reds and went unclaimed.  

- Rafael Devers has homered in five of his last six games for the Giants. The former Sox third baseman ranks second in homers, tied for fourth in RBI, and third in OPS since the start of July. 

- The Blue Jays placed right-hander Jameson Taillon on the 15-day injured list with a right elbow issue. 

- The Rays’ rotation took a significant hit Friday as it lost southpaw Shane McClanahan to the 15-day injured list due to left forearm tightness.

- Reds rookie Sal Stewart seems like a slam dunk to win the 2026 National League Rookie of the Year award. He’s belted 31 homers with 106 RBI this season.

- Trevor Story is 8-for-20 with four doubles since returning from the 60-day injured list. He had a walk-off RBI single in the 10th inning to beat the Mariners on Monday after a two-run double in the eighth to cut the deficit to one run.

- Former Red Sox outfield prospect Enddy Azocar was named the South Atlantic League Player of the Month for August after a torrid stretch split between two organizations. Azocar was one of the prospects Boston sent to Baltimore in the trade for Rutschman. In 23 games between the Red Sox’ and Orioles’ South Atlantic League affiliates last month, Azocar batted .365/.404/.656 with nine doubles, two triples, five home runs and 23 RBI.

- Before the Red Sox traded Connelly Early to the Nationals for Curtis Mead, the Cubs reportedly were looking to acquire the young southpaw. It's unclear who the Sox would have gotten in return from Chicago, but one could speculate that Boston could have targeted Matt Shaw, who they've had interest in the past. 

- Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has hit eight homers and knocked in 14 runs over the last 13 games. 

- Chris Sale is looking to win his second Cy Young in three seasons. Sale struck out seven and limited the Phillies to two runs over six innings. His 2.10 ERA ranks second among NL pitchers, trailing only Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski’s 1.97 ERA.