Baltimore Orioles v Boston Red Sox | Paul Rutherford/GettyImages
The Boston Red Sox lost a couple of starting pitchers to injury early in the 2024 season, Lucas Giolito and Garrett Whitlock.
Both players experienced their second bouts with ulnar collateral ligament damage in their throwing elbow and underwent the internal brace procedure to repair it. The surgery is billed as having a shorter recovery time than Tommy John surgery, and Giolito and Whitlock may prove that to be true.
In a recent report from Ian Browne of MLB.com, Whitlock said he expects to post a full, healthy spring training less than nine months removed from his season-ending surgery. The righty will prepare to pitch out of the bullpen, as many of Boston’s pitching additions — Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and Patrick Sandoval — need rotation spots.
Whitlock’s lengthy injury history has had some fans wondering if he should’ve been permanently moved to the bullpen some time ago. The righty had an incredibly successful season out of the bullpen in 2021, his rookie year, when he clocked a 1.96 ERA with 81 strikeouts and 17 walks over 73.1 innings of work.
Garrett Whitlock fully healthy before Red Sox spring training, just nine months after season-ending surgery
A full, healthy spring training will allow Whitlock to put his relief experience to good use and potentially compete for Boston’s closer job. In a Dec. 9 story from Chris Cotillo of MassLive at the Winter Meetings, the Red Sox mentioned the possibility of using Whitlock in the late innings. Liam Hendriks and Justin Slaten are also expected to be in the mix for the closer position, along with the Sox’s biggest relief signing of the winter, Aroldis Chapman.
The Red Sox could also use Whitlock in a more flexible role as a middle-innings or long reliever. Such a move would make sense if Boston hopes to use Whitlock as a depth starter, although it may not need to with Richard Fitts, Quinn Priester and Cooper Criswell available for spot starts.
It’s reassuring to hear Whitlock is healthy and ready to go for spring training, especially since the Red Sox haven’t added another major league reliever since it signed Chapman in December. Sox fans won’t have to wait much longer to see where Whitlock lands in the ‘pen — pitchers and catchers are slated to report to JetBlue Park in Fort Myers on Feb. 12, and spring training games begin with a bout against Northeastern on Feb. 21.
