CLEVELAND — Another one of the most important members of the Red Sox has suffered a setback in his return from injury.
Ace lefthander Garrett Crochet has dealt with tightness in his left lat in recent days, will see doctors and get an MRI early this week, and will not complete his scheduled session against batters Tuesday.
Crochet and interim manager Chad Tracy downplayed the severity of what the pitcher is experiencing before Sunday’s 9-4 win over the Guardians. But Tracy said he had “no idea” and “wouldn’t even venture to answer” how long this might halt progress made by Crochet — who was not close to a return anyway.
“Feels like a very minor setback. It [stinks] to even call it a setback. It doesn’t feel like it even deserves that title,” Crochet said. “Just trying to make sure that when I do return to play, that I’m there for the rest of the year.”
Tracy said: “That’s going to push it back some, but how long, no clue. We’ll see how he feels and what the docs say and how quickly it resolves.”
Crochet has been out since late April because of what initially was inflammation/fatigue in his left shoulder — a result, he said, of diminished strength that had bothered him since spring training.
Last Tuesday, he threw live batting practice, his first time facing batters since being sidelined. He had been slated to do so again this Tuesday. But on Thursday, he “felt a little stretch” in the lat on an otherwise random throw, he said.
Crochet shut down for a couple of days, just to be safe. Upon throwing again this weekend, he continued to feel it, so the Sox decided he needs to get it looked at.
“It’s really lingering,” Tracy said. “We were hoping it was eh, soreness. But he’s throwing and it’s still there. It is improving, but for right now, we’re backing off that until he sees docs and gets back home.”
Crochet noted that he was “very, very early in the buildup process” and he was “a little far off from a rehab start.” That suggests that even in the previous best-case scenario, he likely was weeks away from returning to a major league mound.
“That’s a pretty vulnerable time, though, for the arm in general during the buildup process,” he said. “So, if it was going to happen at some point, I would expect it to happen right around now, which [stinks]. But just strengthen the area and move on.”
For the Red Sox, who also are without Roman Anthony indefinitely because of a sprained right hand/wrist that has not healed as they hoped, this is more of the same. They have pitched well without Crochet, who has been out so long that he last appeared in a game when Alex Cora still was manager.
“We’ve been getting used to, at least right now, having to deal with playing baseball games and life without him,” Tracy said. “So from my perspective, it doesn’t change the current situation. We’ve still got to go out and win baseball games, and we still have guys in our rotation who have done an amazing job and are very capable.
Crochet said: “I’ve been on the IL before in my career. It doesn’t feel good. Feels like you’re letting your teammates down. Right now, I’m just trying to get back and be the version of myself that I know I can be, not the version of myself that I was even this year before my injury.”
Rafaela scratched
Ceddanne Rafaela was removed from the lineup for the finale against Cleveland because of a lower back issue that stems from a recent dive in center field at Fenway Park, Tracy said.
“It’s been irking at him for a couple days,” the manager said. “A little bit more balky today. So we got to, with the offday [Monday], keep him out of there.”
Contreras out, too
Willson Contreras was absent from the lineup for what Tracy described as a variety of arm reasons, but he replaced Mickey Gasper at first base in the ninth inning.
Some swings lately have hyperextended Contreras’s arm, leading to a “tingling sensation,” Tracy said. He also has been hit by a pitch on the elbow a couple of times recently.
“We’ve ridden him hard,” Tracy said. “Broadly, he just needs a break, that’s all.”
Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.