Kutter Crawford recently took a big step in the right direction after undergoing wrist surgery during the 2025 MLB season. According to Ian Browne of MLB.com, Crawford threw off the mound for the first time since this past summer.
Crawford never threw an in-game pitch in 2025 due to injuries. While he's displayed potential at times in the past, Crawford has struggled for the most part in his big league career. He holds a career 4.56 ERA across 86 total games pitched (69 starts). In 2024 — the most recent season that saw Crawford pitch in MLB — the right-handed hurler turned in a 4.36 ERA across 183.2 innings pitched.
His 33 starts led the league, but he also surrendered the most home runs (34) in the league. Crawford is still only 29 years old, though, so the possibility of him figuring things out and finding success in the future is certainly not out of the question.
The Red Sox and Crawford recently avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $2.75 million contract for the '26 campaign. The signing means Boston is not giving up on Crawford.
What will Kutter Crawford's role be with Red Sox in 2026?
It will be interesting to see what Crawford's role ends up being in 2026. He could be available for Opening Day, but the Red Sox will proceed with caution in reference to building him up for the season in spring training.
At the moment, the starting rotation is set to include Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray and Brayan Bello. Johan Oviedo and Patrick Sandoval are also candidates to start, while the Red Sox could end up signing or trading for another starter.
Crawford may also be a candidate to join the rotation once he's healthy. However, a move to the bullpen could also make sense. His role has yet to be determined, but the good news is that Crawford is trending in a promising direction amid his injury recovery.
