Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Multi-inning relief role possible
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Red Sox chief of baseball operations Craig Breslow suggested Whitlock (elbow) could be used as a multi-inning reliever in 2025, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports, "He was very successful in a multi-inning leverage role, to the point that he was a real weapon that Alex (Cora) could deploy," Breslow said.
Whitlock underwent an internal bracing procedure last May and may best be deployed out of the bullpen. Following a successful 2021 as a multi-inning reliever, Whitlock spent the next three seasons in a hybrid starter/reliever role but dealt with injuries. As the Red Sox talk about adding a front-end starter this offseason, it makes sense from a health and workload-management perspective for Whitlock to work out of the bullpen in 2025. In four seasons as a reliever, Whitlock has a 2.65 ERA and 10.2 K/9 over 132.2 innings.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Role for 2025 undecided
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Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Tuesday that the team is undecided on what role Whitlock (elbow) will fill in 2025, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.
Breslow added that he does plan to define Whitlock's role eventually, but factoring into the decision will be what happens with other potential pitching additions the club makes this offseason. Whitlock underwent an internal brace procedure in May and is likely to get a late start to 2025 regardless of the role he fills, although the rehab would take longer if the Red Sox elect to stretch him out to be in the rotation.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Starting throwing program Thursday
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Whitlock (elbow) will begin a throwing program Thursday, Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald reports.
Whitlock will kick off a throwing progression as he works his way back from an internal bracing procedure, which he underwent in May. It's not yet clear what role the Red Sox have in mind for Whitlock in 2025, but that could affect how soon he might be available to pitch for them.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Decision on surgery coming next week
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Whitlock is scheduled to visit Dr. Jeff Dugas in Birmingham, Ala. on May 30, at which point a decision will be made whether he'll require surgery to address his right elbow sprain, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.
Whitlock was originally placed on the 15-day injured list April 17 with a left oblique strain, but the health of his pitching elbow is now the Red Sox's chief concern after he sustained the injury in his lone rehab start for Triple-A Worcester last Wednesday. He's reportedly dealing with damage to his UCL, so while the early expectation is that he'll need some kind of procedure to address the injury, he'll first consult with Dr. Dugas to see if rest and rehab is a viable treatment plan. Even if Whitlock is able to avoid surgery, he's still likely looking at an extended absence and likely won't be ready to rejoin the Red Sox until the second half of the season even in a best-case scenario.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Expected to require surgery
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Whitlock has damage in his right UCL and will likely need surgery, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.
Whitlock was shut down from throwing after he reported soreness in his right elbow Wednesday, and after further evaluation, it's been discovered that he has ligament damage. The right-hander will see a doctor in Birmingham later in the week, as he could be in the process of seeking a second opinion before electing surgery.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Exceptional in rehab start
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Whitlock (oblique) struck out five and allowed two hits and one walk over 4.2 scoreless innings Wednesday in his rehab start with Triple-A Worcester.
Whitlock pumped in 40 of his 61 pitches for strikes and induced 12 swings and misses, looking as strong as ever while pitching in a game for the first time since April 16. Even though he didn't get fully stretched out for a traditional starter's workload Wednesday, Whitlock could return from the 15-day injured list to make his next appearance out of the Red Sox rotation. If the Red Sox decide he won't require an additional rehab appearance, Whitlock would likely start with the big club either Monday or Tuesday at Tampa Bay.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Starting rehab assignment Wednesday
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Whitlock (oblique) will make a rehab start with Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.
Whitlock was placed on the 15-day injured list April 17 after sustaining a left oblique strain the day before against the Guardians. Before landing on the IL, Whitlock was 1-0 over four starts with a 1.96 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 17:7 K:BB over 18.1 innings. How he fares during and after his rehab start Wednesday will determine whether the 27-year-old right-hander will require more than one outing in the minors to prepare for his return.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Set to face hitters
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Whitlock (oblique) will throw live batting practice Friday, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.
Assuming all goes well during his live BP session, Whitlock will move onto a rehab assignment next week, though it's unclear if he will require more than one start in the minors. The 27-year-old right-hander has been on the injured list since April 17 and just began his throwing program Saturday.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Plays catch
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Whitlock (oblique) played catch Saturday, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.
Whitlock was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with what was described at the time as a low-grade strain. It's unclear if he'll require more than the 15 days or when Whitlock will advance to pitching off a mound.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Lands on injured list
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The Red Sox placed Whitlock on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a left oblique strain, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.
Whitlock suffered the injury during Tuesday's start against the Guardians. Manager Alex Cora suggested that Whitlock is dealing with a low-grade strain, and the Red Sox are hopeful that the right-hander will be ready to return from the IL when first eligible. It's not yet clear who will take Whitlock's spot in the rotation, but Chase Anderson is a candidate.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Exits with injury
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Whitlock was removed from Tuesday's game against the Guardians due to left oblique tightness, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.
Whitlock had given up two runs across four innings before Joely Rodriguez relieved him out of the bullpen. The severity of his injury remains unknown, but the right-hander will presumably undergo imaging to determine whether or not he'll be required to miss his next turn through the rotation.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Pitches well in no-decision
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Whitlock allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out four batters over five innings in a no-decision against Baltimore on Thursday.
Whitlock held the Orioles scoreless until Colton Cowser belted a solo shot off him in the fifth inning, but he ended up with a no-decision due to a late Baltimore rally. The right-hander has allowed one or zero runs in each of his three starts so far this season, though he's yet to go beyond five frames. Overall, Whitlock's 1.26 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 16:6 K:BB across 14.1 frames have made for a strong beginning to his first season as a full-time starter.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Strong showing Friday
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Whitlock allowed two hits and one walk while striking out five over 4.1 scoreless innings in Friday's spring game against the Twins.
This was the best of Whitlock's five Grapefruit League starts and a reminder that he's not out of the competition for one of the two available slots in the rotation. He threw 62 pitches (44 strikes) and put batters away after getting ahead in the count. "The swings and misses from the get-go, that's a game changer," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told Ian Browne of MLB.com. "He's been working hard with his cutter and the slider/sweeper. The good thing about him is he's always ahead. It's about putting them away. Not only inducing them to weak contact, but swings and misses are good, too." Whitlock has a 3.45 ERA with 16 strikeouts and two walks over 15.2 spring innings. Tanner Houck, Cooper Criswell and, to an extent, Josh Winckowski are also competing for a rotation spot.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Throws three innings
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Whitlock allowed two runs on four hits with two strikeouts over three innings in Tuesday's spring start against Tampa Bay.
Whitlock made his third Grapefruit League start and has now allowed runs in all three. When the day began, he was in a competition with Tanner Houck and Josh Winckowski for a single rotation spot; however, circumstances changed by the time he took the mound. The club announced Lucas Giolito is experiencing elbow soreness. One report called it a partial UCL tear and flexor strain, which is likely season-ending injury. That would mean two of the Whitlock/Houck/Winckowski trio will enter the rotation, unless the organization reaches out to an existing free agent, such as Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell. Whitlock has allowed four runs on eight hits while striking out 10 over eight innings.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Makes spring debut
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Whitlock allowed one run on one hit while striking out two over two innings in Saturday's spring start against Baltimore.
Whitlock allowed some loud contact during his opening frame, including an Adley Rutschman home run on a 3-1 changeup. Red Sox manager Alex Cora was largely pleased with the outing. "He fell into some deep counts," Cora told Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe. "Conditions were conducive to fly balls going out of the ballpark. But overall it was a good outing. The quality of pitches was good. So now we move on to the next one." Whitlock is in the mix for a spot in the rotation, but the right-hander said he's not as consumed with being a starter as he was the past two seasons, which have featured injuries and inconsistency. "I kind of took a page from Adam Warren (a former teammate), where he told me, once you adapt that mind-set of being a Swiss Army knife, where you can be thrown into anything and excel, it frees everything else up," Whitlock said. He's in the mix for one of two spots in the rotation along with Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck and Josh Winckowski.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Battling for rotation spot
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Whitlock is preparing to compete for a spot in the Red Sox's Opening Day rotation this spring, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.
Fully healthy again after battling elbow issues at various points last season, Whitlock threw his first live batting practice of spring training Wednesday, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com reports. Though Whitlock opened the 2023 campaign as a starter, he worked out of the bullpen over his final 12 appearances upon returning in August following his third stint on the injured list. In November, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told Alex Speier of The Boston Globe that the Red Sox planned to have Whitlock get stretched back out for a starting role heading into the spring training, and the right-hander looks like he's right where he needs to be in his buildup program at this stage of camp. Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello, Nick Pivetta and Kutter Crawford project as the Red Sox's top four starters in some order to begin spring training, leaving Whitlock to battle with Tanner Houck and Josh Winckowski for the final spot, which became open after Chris Sale was traded to Atlanta in December.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Works around traffic
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Whitlock allowed two hits and a walk while striking out one over two scoreless innings in Wednesday's 7-5 extra-inning win over Houston.
Whitlock had traffic on the bases in each of his two innings but was able to work around it. That included a nifty sliding catch of Alex Bregman's popup in foul territory. The play was officially ruled batter interference, because Bregman impeded catcher Connor Wong's ability to make the play. The game also featured Boston closer Kenley Jansen leaving due to a hamstring issue. Pending the severity of injury, Whitlock, a trusted setup arm, could be used for save opportunities.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Grabs win in return
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Whitlock (5-3) earned the win in Sunday's 6-3 triumph over the Tigers. He allowed one unearned run while striking out three over two hitless innings.
It was an impressive return for Whitlock, who'd been sidelined since July 4 with a bone bruise in his elbow. The 27-year-old right-hander made 10 starts for the Red Sox earlier this year, though he figures to work out of the bullpen going forward. Overall, Whitlock sports a 5.03 ERA with a 1.27 WHIP and 50:7 K:BB across 53.2 innings this season.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Activated from IL
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The Red Sox activated Whitlock (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Sunday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.
Whitlock has been on the injured list since July 4 with a bone bruise in his right elbow. He holds a 5.23 ERA and 1.32 WHIP through 51.2 innings but looked sharp during his rehab outing, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings while striking out three batters with Triple-A Worcester. Whitlock is expected to join the Sox's bullpen as a multi-inning reliever.
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Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock: Looks sharp in rehab outing
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Whitlock (elbow) struck out three and surrendered two hits while walking none in 2.1 scoreless innings in his rehab appearance Wednesday for Triple-A Worcester. He also hit a batter with a pitch.
Whitlock pumped in 33 of his 46 pitches for strikes while allowing only three of the nine batters he faced to reach base, with both of the hits he allowed being of the soft-contact variety. The strong rehab outing was exactly what the Red Sox wanted to see from Whitlock, who was making his first appearance since July 2 after missing the past five weeks with a bone bruise in his right elbow. Before being placed on the 15-day injured list, Whitlock had served as a starter for the Red Sox, but he'll be rejoining the club as a multi-inning reliever. Assuming he checks out fine after being evaluated following Wednesday's rehab appearance, Whitlock will likely be activated from the IL ahead of Sunday's game against the Tigers.
