Red Sox vs Guardians Preview: Pitching Duel Headlines Week 62

The Boston rotation took a huge hit when Garrett Crochet landed on the injured list with left shoulder inflammation back in late April. He's the ace they built around—elite strikeouts, Cy Young potential, the whole package. Crochet is throwing again and felt strong in recent live practice sessions with his velocity sitting in the mid-90s. But he won't pitch Friday. Instead, Tyler Samaniego gets the start for Boston. The Red Sox need their rotation to hold strong while Crochet ramps back up over the next couple weeks.

The Guardians are rolling right now with a 33-25 record and seven wins in their last ten games. Meanwhile, Boston is stuck at 23-32 and just dropped their last game. This is exactly the kind of matchup where Cleveland's pitching depth shines through. Slade Cecconi takes the mound for the home team and leads a rotation featuring young stars Gavin Williams and Tanner Bibee. The Guardians' bullpen, anchored by closer Cade Smith, gives Cleveland another advantage. Boston has to find a way to scratch out runs against a Cleveland staff built to shut teams down.

Boston is dealing with a mountain of injuries heading into Progressive Field. Trevor Story had surgery for a sports hernia and won't return for weeks. Roman Anthony is still healing from a sprained finger and can't swing a bat yet. The Red Sox are missing power bats while they wait for stars to heal up. On the bright side, veteran closer Aroldis Chapman remains a force late in games. Boston also has Sonny Gray and Ranger Suárez in the rotation to lean on. This road trip is a test of Boston's depth and character.