Flamethrowing White Sox lefty ready for his comeback

This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin's White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Garrett Crochet has been asked about his future as either a starter or reliever with the White Sox so many times that his inner angst almost becomes visible whenever the question is put forth.

So how did I conclude my recent interview with the left-hander? By asking him if he still sees himself as a starter.

“I mean, with being out for so long, at this point, I’m just ready to fill in wherever I need to,” said Crochet, who has thrown 60 1/3 innings in his career.

For Crochet, the focus is more immediately on the upcoming season or even the next few months. The finish line is now in sight in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in the final week of Spring Training 2022.

Since the second week of December, Crochet has thrown two bullpens per week in Arizona, going 25 pitches on Tuesdays and then 35 to 40 pitches on Fridays. Though he won't pitch in any Cactus League games, per general manager Rick Hahn, Crochet will ramp up the intensity by moving to one bullpen per week at 40 pitches.

Crochet should see his first game action in extended spring camp, followed by a Minor League rehab assignment. His White Sox return is penciled in for mid-May if all goes well.

“I’m a lot more resilient than I thought,” Crochet said. “When I originally blew out, I remember bawling on Ryan Burr’s shoulder in the locker room. That was tough. I didn’t necessarily foresee what it would look like once I was recovered. But being here now, I’ve gained a considerable amount of muscle, and I feel very confident in my ability again.”

“He looks phenomenal physically. He’s gotten really strong,” White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz said. “His legs are huge. It’s pretty impressive. Watching him throw his bullpens, he’s really commanding the zone nicely. As he’s building up, it’s really exciting to see where he’s kind of progressed through this whole time of his rebuild. He looks really good.”

Chicago's top pick in the 2020 Draft, the hard-throwing southpaw bypassed the Minors and struck out eight over six innings of relief that same year while also throwing the second-most pitches of at least 100 mph. Crochet remained in the bullpen in '21 and posted a 2.82 ERA over 54 games for the American League Central champions.

His 2022 season ended before it started in Goodyear, Ariz. But with the help of the White Sox training staff, his wife, Rachel, and his personal fortitude, Crochet is close to returning. There’s always been talk of Crochet taking his skill set to the rotation, but with his recovery in mind, he’ll return as a valuable bullpen component.

“Anything is possible,” Katz said when asked about Crochet eventually becoming a starter. “Right now, we are just trying to get him back onto the field, and we’ll kind of see how that all plays out.”

“It’s incredibly exciting,” Crochet said of the return. “I’ve been busting my [butt] for 11 months now. I’m excited to get back.”