Yes it can, but it is very slow to heal. I think this is due to a combination of factors but the reduced blood flow to that area doesn't help.
I know people who thought that they'd never, ever recover from it yet years on are perfectly fine. It just feels like that at the time.
One thing I'd say is listen to your own body rather than 'conventional wisdom' on it. I spent ages (weeks/months) doing walks that were progressive drops - from higher heeled shoes to medium heel stack to flat (zero drop) trainers. These walks did nothing but aggravate the heck out of it. I was advised to do the walks by someone who was doing his PhD in achilles injuries and was meant to be a real source of wisdom on it. He might be, but it simply did not work for me at all. Everyone is different. So if something is aggravating it and you know it, don't persist just because you're 'meant' to.
I also didn't find the eccentric calf drops/raises helpful. But - I didn't do the amount that people are mentioning. I was similar to 'going faster miles an hour' in that extended rest from running helped a lot, as did gentle walking. I also was careful when I woke up as it seemed to take about half an hour to become normal in the morning, and I was careful regarding any kin of hill or upward slope as they could be very aggravating. I also was very careful if I did anything like ice my foot or put my foot in a bowl of cold water, as the tendon would be very sensitive after that and needed to become warm to function normally. In fact I stayed away from ice/cold water in those regions after that.
I found magnesium spray for my calf on that side helped to relax a large knot in my calf that was probably contributing to the problem.
Stretching just seemed to make it worse quite honestly. Active gentle walking seemed to improve it.