The Boston Red Sox received more devastating injury news Saturday when pitcher Garrett Whitlock announced that his elbow injury would require internal bracing. That means his 2024 season is over and he will not be able to pitch for the Red Sox until the 2025 season.
"It's all about how you get back up, how you fight, and that's how I'm viewing this and that's how I'm attacking it." Garrett Whitlock on being shut down for the remainder of the 2024 season with an elbow injury.
Whitlock joins starting pitcher Lucas Giolito on the sidelines. Giolito's season came to an end in spring training when he underwent surgery in spring training on his elbow. He had the same internal bracing that Whitlock is scheduled to receive.
Whitlock, 27, is scheduled to meet with Dr. Jeff Dugas on in Birmingham, Alabama next week. The surgery he will face is quite a bit less involved than traditional Tommy John surgery. Whitlock had that surgery when he was a member of the New York Yankees organization in 2019.
“The rehab from this is a ton easier than Tommy John. It's one of those things where you keep moving forward,” he said, per ESPN.
Whitlock had a 1-0 record and a 1.96 earned run average with the Red Sox after four starts. He went on the injured list April 17 when he suffered a strained left oblique.
After that injury, Whitlock missed several starts as he waited for the oblique to heal. He had a rehab start with Boston's minor league team at Worcester and it was thought that he would be back with the Red Sox shortly since that start went well, but he work up the next morning with pain in his elbow.
Garrett Whitlock undergoes MRI after pain is reported
Whenever a pitcher feels pain in any part of his arm, it is taken seriously. As a result, Whitlock underwent an immediate MRI exam.
“The MRI showed some changes to the ligament,” he said. “I felt fantastic in that outing. Woke up the next day and couldn't straighten my arm. My arm looked like a balloon. I was like: What the heck happened here?
“It was one of those things where a fluke thing happened,” he said. “Just another thing I've dealt with. I've just got to keep a positive attitude.”
The Red Sox have also suffered several injuries among position players. Shortstop Trevor Story suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in April after diving to catch a line drive and landing on the joint.
First baseman Triston Casas, who emerged as one of Boston's best hitters last year, suffered torn cartilage in his rib cage in late April. He is taking ground balls as he rehabs from the injury, and he is expected to return from the injury in late June.
Little was expected from the Red Sox this season as they appeared to face a huge talent gap in the American League East. They have a 26-26 record through their first 52 games, and while they trail the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles in the division, they have performed better than most observers believed they would.
