{"id":30357,"date":"2025-03-04T02:10:07","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T02:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=30357"},"modified":"2025-03-04T02:10:07","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T02:10:07","slug":"breaking-alex-cora-delivers-encouraging-injury-update-on-garrett-whitlock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=30357","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Alex Cora Delivers Encouraging Injury Update on Garrett Whitlock!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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2025 Boston Red Sox Spring Training | Maddie Malhotra\/Boston Red Sox\/GettyImages<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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This time last year, Garrett Whitlock was gearing up to be a critical piece of the Boston Red Sox’s starting rotation.<\/p>\n

His season started strong after he posted a 1.96 ERA in 18.1 innings. But after his fourth start on April 16, Whitlock and the Red Sox realized something was wrong, and scans showed UCL damage in the righty’s throwing arm. On May 30,\u00a0Whitlock underwent the internal brace procedure,\u00a0his second UCL repair surgery in his career.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old is still recovering from the surgery and hasn’t yet appeared in a spring training game. Still, Red Sox manager Alex Cora is “100 percent” certain that Whitlock will be ready for Opening Day, according to Ian Browne of MLB.com.<\/p>\n

Cora’s confidence in his pitcher’s status is reassuring \u2014 his Opening Day update comes before Whitlock has seen game action and just nine months after the internal brace procedure, which is\u00a0advertised to have a shorter recovery period\u00a0than Tommy John surgery.\u00a0Lucas Giolito also underwent the internal brace procedure\u00a0a few months before Whitlock last year, and Boston expects both pitchers to be ready for action by March 27.<\/p>\n

Alex Cora is ‘100 percent’ certain Garrett Whitlock will be ready for game action by Red Sox Opening Day<\/h2>\n
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