The Boston Red Sox haven’t had much go right for them this season, but they did pick up a 5-3 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday night, which is always a positive. Beyond that, it seems like several of the team’s injured players are closing in on a return to action, with an encouraging update on star relief pitcher Garrett Whitlock recently emerging.
Whitlock landed on the injured list with left knee inflammation at the end of May after he slipped on a wet mound, but the hope was that he would not have to miss much time with this ailment. Sure enough, it seems like Whitlock could be able to return to action right around when he’s first eligible to come off the injured list.
Garrett Whitlock Closing in on Return from Injury for the Red Sox
Since latching on with the Red Sox in 2021, Whitlock has been one of the most effective relief pitchers in the majors. Besides a brief spell as a starting pitcher in 2023, Whitlock has been Boston’s top setup man out of the bullpen, and while numbers haven’t been as good to begin the 2026 campaign, he’s remained as reliable as ever.
Prior to landing on the injured list, Whitlock appeared in 20 games, posting a 3-1 record with a 3.20 ERA and 25 strikeouts. As one of the anchors of the Sox’s bullpen, losing Whitlock for an extended period of time was obviously a pretty crushing blow, but to this point, the team has managed to piece things together in his absence.
It helps that, after retroactively being placed on the injured list on May 25, Whitlock hasn’t had to miss that much time for Boston. More encouragingly, it doesn’t sound like his stint away from the team will last much longer, as manager Chad Tracy revealed that Whitlock will make a rehab appearance at Triple-A on Saturday.
“Garrett Whitlock will make a rehab appearance for Triple-A Worcester tomorrow, Chad Tracy said. TBD if it’s a one-off or he makes another before being activated,” Tim Healey of The Boston Globe shared in a post on X.
Red Sox Hoping Garrett Whitlock Returns to Action Soon
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 01: Garrett Whitlock #22 of the Boston Red Sox pitches during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on October 01, 2025 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
With closer Aroldis Chapman sustaining a hamstring injury recently, that could make Whitlock’s status even more important moving forward. If Chapman has to head to the injured list, Whitlock would be the top option to fill in as the team’s closer, even though he only has 10 saves to his name throughout the first six seasons of his career.
All eyes will be on Whitlock to see how he fares in his rehab outing, because if all goes well, it could end up being the only one he has to make. In the meantime, Boston will look to pick up a series victory over the Yankees on Saturday, which could go a long way towards helping the team finally generate some positive momentum this year.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Red Sox Get Good Garrett Whitlock Injury News Amid Yankees Series appeared first on HEAVY.