Boston Red Sox fans are buzzing about lefty ace Garrett Crochet, and rightfully so.

Crochet hasn't pitched in a big league game since April 25 due to shoulder and lat injuries, but the idea of a return is getting more and more real by the day. On Friday, Crochet tossed another bullpen session as he continues his push for a late-season return.

With Crochet throwing — including now from the Fenway Park mound — now is a perfect time to evaluate the best- and worst-case scenarios as the big lefty attempts to make his big return and help this team down the stretch.

Best Case

This one is easy. The best-case scenario for the Red Sox is that Crochet is able to return before the 2026 season comes to an end and he's able to make a legit impact on this club's playoff race.

On Friday, Crochet tossed just over 20 pitches in his bullpen and it was a major step forward. On top of his fastball, Crochet shared that he introduced his sweeper into the mix as well. For the big lefty to get into game action, he needs to continue progressing without any setbacks, while getting all of his pitches up to speed. While speaking to the media afterward on Friday, he shared that he's unsure right now if he'll be able to get into a game before the playoffs, but that he is "trending well."

"I’m not sure. Trending well, right now,” he said. “Have a lot more stuff to tick off. This is my first time throwing sweepers in a bullpen, so it’d be a pretty big leap to put myself in a game mindset right now. It’s also like, whatever I say to you guys and [then] I don’t do it, then I look like a dumbass. And I’ve done that a couple of times. So, really, just keep trending, keep doing what the team and the staff asked me to do.”

For the Red Sox, they need the big lefty to continue on this path right now without a setback. It's already known that when he returns, it will be in a different role than his typical. He's not going to return and toss 7 2/3 innings in a playoff game against the New York Yankees, as he did in the Wild Card round last year. That's just not happening. But if he keeps on this path, returning and tossing two or three innings in a big spot could be very possible. Even if he doesn't pitch in a regular season game before the postseason, it's not something to worry about, as long as he looks like himself in a postseason game.

Worst Case

The worst-case scenario is also fairly easy to pick out. There are two worst-case options. Rushing to the point that the 2027 campaign is risked by another injury, or simply just the rust of returning to big league action in the first place. Boston is a World Series contender and adding a healthy Crochet would add to that. But if he were to return at an expedited pace that puts any risk on the 2027 campaign, that'd be bad news. Of the two, that's the least likely option. You can't predict injuries, but Boston has been clear that it's not going to risk the lefty.

The other option is rust in an important game. He hasn't pitched in a big league game since Aug. 25. What if the Red Sox hit the road for a Wild Card series against the Yankees — which is very likely — and Crochet comes in and gets hit hard right away?

The Wild Card series is just three games. One bad inning can lose you a game and if you lose one, you're at serious risk of going home. Everything is heightened. So, a return to then blow up in the playoffs certainly would hurt.