Phillies Manager Defends Decision To Pull Rookie Pitcher Early In Loss To Red Sox originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox got a much-needed 3-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.

Struggling shortstop Trevor Story opened up the scoring for the Red Sox on Wednesday with a solo home run in the second inning, but the Phillies quickly tied things up with a solo shot of their own in the following inning. 

Philadelphia had rookie Andrew Painter on the mound, who was surprisingly pulled after five innings, despite having thrown only 62 pitches and allowing one run. Ceddanne Rafaela would pinch hit later in the inning, delivering a two-run home run that gave the Red Sox the lead in their eventual win.

With how well Painter was performing, interim manager Don Mattingly’s decision to go to the bullpen early seems questionable. Though that decision was one of the main culprits for Philadelphia's loss, Mattingly defended pulling Painter despite his success and low pitch count.

“We wanted to be proactive tonight with him,” Mattingly said on Wednesday, per MLB.com's Paul Casella. “ … Get him going, get some confidence, and obviously, he threw the ball really well tonight. Got his command back. I was happy with him, but knowing we need him all year long, just kind of get him building and let him build off a good start.

“Thought it was a good spot for Banksy, and we get Kirk in the game at the right spot, too. I felt like (Kerkering) just kind of missed his spot.”

Boston fans will surely be happy with Mattingly’s decision, as the team was able to secure a solid victory from Rafaela's clutch home run. Sonny Gray and the pitching staff also did their job, holding the Phillies to only one run. 

The Red Sox seem to have taken a step in the right direction and will look to keep up the momentum moving forward. 

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How long is Garrett Crochet Out? Injury Timeline, Possible Return, Updates on Red Sox Pitcher originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Red Sox announced on April 29 that Garrett Crochet had been placed on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation.

The 2025 AL Cy Young runner-up has not been consistently dominant this season, but he was coming off a strong performance in which he didn't allow a run against the Orioles and finished with seven strikeouts in six innings.

How long will the Red Sox have to survive without one of baseball's best pitchers?

Here are the latest updates on Crochet's status and his projected return date.

Garrett Crochet injury updates

On May 13, Crochet threw a 20-pitch bullpen session at Fenway Park, his first time throwing since he landed on the IL. According to MassLive's Chris Cotillo, Crochet "expects to throw a two-inning bullpen over the weekend in Atlanta and after that, face hitters in a potential last step before returning."

"Obviously, touching the mound while rehabbing is a good step," Crochet said. "Got to keep building. It has taken a little bit longer than I had originally hoped, but today was a good day."

On April 29, Crochet was placed on the 15-day IL with left shoulder inflammation (retroactive to April 26). He noted that he started to feel some fatigue in his last start, a 17-1 win over Baltimore on April 25, but he was able to "grind through it."

"It kind of just makes more sense to get ahead of it now so I'm not playing catch-up the rest of the season," Crochet said.

"Just some fatigue that I was feeling in my last start... kinda just makes more sense to get ahead of it now so I'm not playing catchup the rest of the season."

Garrett Crochet's thoughts on being placed on the 15-Day IL ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/KNI293pMuy

— NESN (@NESN) April 29, 2026

How long is Garrett Crochet out?

Though Crochet was "pretty confident" that he would rejoin Boston's rotation when he was eligible to come off the injured list, the recovery process has taken longer than expected. Cotillo noted that "if he feels good coming out of his longer bullpen this weekend, the lefty could face hitters in a simulated game in the middle of next week and potentially return during the last week of May."

While the timeline remains unclear, Crochet has strongly rejected the idea of accepting a rehab assignment.

"We're trying to win games," Crochet said. "I'd rather not waste innings on a rehab assignment when I feel like I can contribute."

How Garrett Crochet injury impacts Red Sox's rotation

With Sonny Gray back in the fold and pitching effectively, the Red Sox's rotation has regained some much-needed stability. Gray, who spent time on the IL in April because of a hamstring injury, returned to the mound on May 6 and has been excellent this month, allowing just one earned run across 11 innings.

While Gray's return is a relief, the team is still navigating the absence of Crochet. The Red Sox will continue to lean on Brayan Bello, Connelly Early and Ranger Suarez. Payton Tolle, who originally stepped in for Gray, remains a key factor, and Jake Bennett could be recalled from Triple-A Worcester in the future.

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Red Sox's Bold New Strategy Finally Paying Off After Rocky Start originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Seven weeks have passed since Opening Day, and the Boston Red Sox's offense still hasn't found its rhythm yet. The Red Sox have scored three runs or fewer in nine of their last 13 games and are averaging just 3.36 runs per game in May, down from 4.23 runs per game in April.

And yet, Boston still has a winning record this month, entering play on Thursday with a 6-5 record and a plus-five run differential in May. 

That's because the Red Sox's pitching and defense have been lights out lately, picking up the slack for the team's slumping lineup.

Two home runs on Wednesday night qualified as an outburst for a struggling Red Sox lineup.

With a 2.61 ERA in May, Red Sox pitchers have carried the club. Sonny Gray was the latest. https://t.co/8bSVQjO1a8

— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) May 14, 2026

Boston's new run prevention strategy got off to a rough start with some shaky pitching and fielding, but both have dramatically improved over the last few weeks. The Red Sox have allowed three runs or fewer in 11 of their last 16 games, yielding just 2.94 runs per game during that stretch.

Boston's defense has emerged as one of the best in baseball this year, leading MLB in defensive runs saved and ranking second in total zone runs. The pitching has also stabilized despite dealing with injuries to Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez, posting a sparkling 2.61 ERA in May.

The Red Sox's run prevention has hit its stride, living up to Craig Breslow's vision. The offense has not, however, and is holding the team back. If Boston wants to go on a run and get back in contention, its hitters need to start pulling their weight.

More MLB: Kyle Schwarber Reveals Disappointing Offseason Pursuit By Red Sox

Former Red Sox Pitcher Reportedly Signs Minor League Contract originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

A recent Boston Red Sox player will receive another opportunity to revive his career.

Liam Hendriks signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs, as first reported on Wednesday by The Athletic's Britt Ghiroli. He hasn't appeared in a major league game since pitching for the Red Sox on May 27, 2025.

Hendriks joined the Red Sox on a two-year, $10 million deal before the 2024 season. The three-time All-Star returned from a non-Hodgkins lymphoma diagnosis to pitch five innings for the Chicago White Sox in 2023 before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The former star closer made it back to the mound with middling results last year, allowing 12 hits, seven walks and 10 earned runs in 12 2/3 innings for Boston. He went on the injured list with right hip inflammation, which ultimately ended his 2025 campaign.

Hendriks signed with the Minnesota Twins this spring, but they granted the 37-year-old his release when he didn't make the Opening Day roster. 

The Cubs will take a low-risk chance on Hendriks, who was one of MLB's most dominant bullpen arms at his peak. Hendriks led all relievers with 9.5 fWAR from 2019 to 2022, posting a 2.22 ERA and 7.93 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

He'll join a Cubs bullpen that welcomed closer Daniel Palencia back from the IL last week. Chicago leads the National League Central at 27-15 despite losing the last three games.

More MLB: Kyle Schwarber Reveals Disappointing Offseason Pursuit By Red Sox

Kyle Schwarber Reveals Disappointing Offseason Pursuit By Red Sox originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

In the first inning of Tuesday night's game at Fenway Park, Major League home run leader Kyle Schwarber launched another four-bagger into the bullpen beyond the right-field wall, marking his fifth straight game with a homer.

Unfortunately, he doesn't play for the Boston Red Sox. He could have, but the Red Sox didn't even make him an offer last winter.

Boston entered last offseason desperately needing an elite power bat after trading Rafael Devers. Fortunately, two of the sport's top sluggers, Pete Alonso and Kyle Schwarber, were both available as free agents.

The Red Sox didn't come close to signing either of them. Their offer to Alonso was well below what he received from the Baltimore Orioles, and they never made Schwarber an offer.

https://t.co/Qb24ecWRO4

— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) May 13, 2026

"We had the phone call, the Zoom, whatever it is," Schwarber told Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. "There was a conversation. [The Sox’ pursuit] kind of just started and ended with the conversation."

While many expected the reigning National League home run and RBI champ to return to the Philadelphia Phillies, which he did, Boston could have at least tried to make a play for him and drive up his asking price. Even the Pittsburgh Pirates, who rarely splurge for free agents, made him a serious offer.

Not seriously pursuing a reunion with Schwarber, who starred for the Red Sox in 2021 and owns elite career numbers at Fenway Park, has proven to be a massive missed opportunity for them.

Boston enters play on Wednesday with one of the worst offenses in baseball, ranking 29th in home runs and slugging percentage. Meanwhile, Schwarber has as many home runs this season as the Red Sox have wins (17).

Had they signed Schwarber when they had the chance, they'd likely have a few more homers and victories this year.

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Opponent's Historic Feat Highlights Red Sox's Offensive Struggles originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox didn't force Zack Wheeler to break much of a sweat early in Tuesday's 2-1 loss.

Wheeler limited the Red Sox to one run in his fourth start back from thoracic outlet decompression surgery. The Philadelphia Phillies ace worked a season-high 7 1/3 innings in just 87 pitches at Fenway Park.

Boston posed little opposition the first time through the batting order. Wheeler threw 16 pitches through three innings, which MLB noted was the fewest needed by a starting pitcher to navigate the first three innings of a game since 2000.

Wheeler started the outing by retiring Jarren Duran, Mickey Gasper and Wilyer Abreu on the second pitch of each at-bat. He hit Masataka Yoshida with a pitch to commence the second inning, but quickly erased the baserunner when Trevor Story grounded into a double play. Ceddanne Rafaela also grounded out after chasing a sinker off the plate.

Marcelo Mayer hit a leadoff single on the third inning's opening pitch, but Wheeler again quickly thwarted any trouble. Carlos Narváez flied out on the second pitch of his at-bat, and Caleb Durbin grounded into an inning-ending double play on the first pitch.

The Red Sox at least made Wheeler work more in the fourth, as he needed 20 pitches against four batters. However, Story then grounded out on the first pitch of the fifth.

Wheeler's vintage performance magnifies some issues that have plagued the Red Sox throughout a disappointing 17-24 start.

Boston's 8.6 percent walk rate ranks 22nd after failing to induce a single free pass against Wheeler. The Red Sox also have the American League's highest ground-ball rate (46.3%) after the 35-year-old generated eight of them.

All seven of Boston's hits were singles, a common theme for an offense whose .350 slugging percentage trails everyone in baseball besides the New York Mets (.343). While the Red Sox have collectively hit 29 home runs, rumored offseason target Kyle Schwarber smacked his 17th long ball on Tuesday night.

Red Sox fans will hope to see a bit more resistance from the lineup against rookie Andrew Painter. Wednesday's game starts at 6:45 p.m. ET on NESN.

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