BOSTON (AP) — Red Sox ace left-hander Garrett Crochet is set to throw batting practice off the Fenway Park mound on Tuesday as he returns from inflammation in his pitching shoulder.

Crochet was 3-3 with a 6.30 ERA when he went on the injured list on April 29. He had a bullpen session before Saturday’s loss to the Minnesota Twins, his fourth side session.

“I think right now we’re on track for a live BP on Tuesday,” interim manager Chad Tracy said before Boston faced Minnesota Sunday.

After his bullpen Saturday, Crochet seemed encouraged.

“Feeling good, feeling confident in the throw,” he said. “Mechanics are in a good spot. That’s kind of the sucky part of all this, is that’s all I have to focus on right now.”

He had the worst start of his career on April 13, when he gave up 11 runs and got only five outs in a loss against the Twins.

Last year he went 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA in his first season with the Red Sox, who signed him to a $170 million, six-year contract that started this year.

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BOSTON (AP) — Trevor Larnach matched his career-high with four hits, Taj Bradley allowed one run over five innings in his return from a chest muscle injury and the Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 on Saturday for their ninth win in 13 games.

Benches and bullpens cleared briefly in the fourth inning after Boston’s Willson Contreras collided with catcher Victor Caratini when he was tagged out trying to score after running through a late stop sign from third base coach Chad Epperson. No punches were thrown.

Larnach had three singles and a double.

Boston had five hits and dropped to 2-20 when scoring two runs or fewer.

Making his first start since going on the IL May 9 with right pectoralis muscle inflammation, Bradley (5-1) gave up three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. He reached 100 mph with a pitch for the first time in his career, throwing a 100.3 mph offering to Contreras in the fourth.

Taylor Rogers got Jarren Duran to strike out looking for the final out with the bases loaded for his second save.

After a comeback win in Friday's series opener, the Twins took a 2-0 lead in the first against opener Jovani Morán (0-2) on Austin Martin's RBI single and Josh Bell's sacrifice fly.

Ceddanne Rafaela’s fourth-inning RBI double on the plate Contreras was thrown out cut Boston’s deficit in half.

Caratini's sacrifice fly and Orlando Arcia's run-scoring single off the glove of pitcher Brayan Bello, who tried to backhand a grounder, boosted the lead to 4-1 in the fifth.

Up next

Twins RHP Bailey Ober (5-2, 3.63 ERA) is scheduled to face Red Sox RHP Sonny Gray (5-1, 2.93) in the series finale Sunday. The forecast calls for steady rain.

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