Red Sox Promising Starter May Not Be Ready For Opening Day

Boston Red Sox's Garrett Whitlock, who underwent hip surgery in September 2022, is currently in the final stages of his rehab process in Fort Myers. While the right-hander has been throwing bullpens like his fellow pitchers, he has yet to be fully cleared to participate in fielding practice, which requires more movement.

Cora on Whitlock: "He's throwing the ball well, he's moving well. Not yet doing PFPs. We're not concerned. We've got a plan. We'll see where we're at in the upcoming weeks. If he's ready for opening day he's ready, but if he's not, he's not going to lose too much time."

— Ian Browne (@IanMBrowne) February 27, 2023

Red Sox manager Alex Cora has confirmed that there's a possibility that Whitlock might not be ready for the season opener, but assured that if that's the case, he won't lose too much time. 

The Red Sox have a deep pool of rotation candidates vying for five spots, including Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, James Paxton and Nick Pivetta, so they will still have options if Whitlock misses a couple of starts.

Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock at the end of workouts on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/kD2ANzWL5U

— SoxSpects (@SoxSpects) February 17, 2023

However, the team has expressed their desire to have Whitlock as a full-time starter in 2023 after predominantly using him in a bullpen role in his first two major league seasons.

Over his first two seasons in the majors, Whitlock has been very impressive, recording a 2.73 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 163 strikeouts over 151.2 innings of work. He's made nine starts, 68 relief appearances and converted eight saves.
Photo Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports