Boston Red Sox right-hander Garrett Whitlock told reporters on Saturday that he'll miss the remainder of the 2024 season and will likely soon undergo elbow surgery to repair his torn ulnar collateral ligament with an internal brace. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said earlier in the week that Whitlock had ligament damage and was likely facing surgery. Whitlock, who has not pitched in the majors since mid-April, experienced elbow soreness following a rehab start.
While the internal brace procedure typically entails a shorter recovery time than does Tommy John sugery, Whitlock will still be sidelined for the rest of 2024.
Whitlock, 27, dealt with his fair share of injuries over the last four seasons. Indeed, this particular stint on the injured list doubled as his eighth since being selected in the 2020 Rule 5 draft from the New York Yankees -- at the time, he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.
When healthy, Whitlock has averaged 23 appearances a year split between the starting rotation and the bullpen, amassing a 3.39 ERA (132 ERA+) and a 4.85 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 241 innings. This season, over four starts, he had compiled a 216 ERA+ and a 2.43 strikeout-to-walk ratio. The Red Sox liked Whitlock enough to sign him to a four-year extension worth nearly $19 million. Said deal includes clubs options for the 2027-28 seasons.
The Red Sox, who enter Saturday with a 26-25 record, have had to withstand a slew of injuries already this season. In addition to Whitlock, the Red Sox are also without starter Lucas Giolito, shortstop Trevor Story, first baseman Triston Casas, and outfielder/DH Masataka Yoshida. The Red Sox have nevertheless stayed afloat in the playoff picture thanks to surprising contributions from the likes of Kutter Crawford and Cooper Criswell, among others.
