As if things couldn’t get worse, Red Sox get more bad news
By Scott Rogust
The Boston Red Sox, looking to keep afloat in the AL East, received some tough injury news regarding one of their starting pitchers.
The Boston Red Sox are trying to stay afloat in the AL East, as they are the only team in the division that is below .500. They are coming off of a series loss to the Baltimore Orioles, featuring one game when the Red Sox could not strike out a single player.
And now Boston has received some rough injury news in regards to their starting rotation.
On Friday, ahead of their series against the Cleveland Guardians, the Red Sox placed starting pitcher Garrett Whitlock on the 15-day injury list (retroactive Apr. 25) due to right elbow ulnar neuritis. In his place, the team recalled Brayan Bello from Triple-A Worcester.
#RedSox placed RHP Garrett Whitlock on the 15-Day injured list (retroactive to April 25) due to right elbow ulnar neuritis.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) April 28, 2023
RHP Brayan Bello recalled.
Red Sox: Garrett Whitlock placed on 15-day IL due to elbow injury
Even though Whitlock is on the injured list for the 15 days, manager Alex Cora is confident that the right-handed pitcher will be back “sooner rather than later.” Not just that, but Cora believes that Whitlock will miss his next two starts.
"He should be back with us sooner rather than later"
— NESN (@NESN) April 28, 2023
Alex Cora on Garrett Whitlock's injury@TomCaron | #RedSox pic.twitter.com/qqWaWDM5iF
Whitlock didn’t make his season debut with the Red Sox until Apr. 11, as he recovered from hip surgery he underwent in the offseason. He had a rough go of things in his first start, surrendering five earned runs on eight hits (three home runs) in the 7-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Whitlock did rebound in his second start against the Los Angeles Angels on Apr. 16, as he struck out five batters and surrendered just one earned run on three hits in the 2-1 win. But on Apr. 22 against the Milwaukee Brewers, Whitlock gave up five earned runs on eight hits in the 5-4 defeat.
Through those three starts, Whitlock carries a 6.19 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP and a 1-2 record, while recording 11 strikeouts and three walks in 16.0 innings pitched.
As for Bello, he had two starts for the Red Sox this season (Apr. 17, 23), where he posted a 9.82 ERA, a 2.18 WHIP, eight strikeouts and three walks in 7.1 innings.
Red Sox fans will be waiting to see if Cora’s feelings about a short stint on the sidelines for Whitlock will truly be the case.
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