Garrett Whitlock Has Team-First Mindset About Role With Red Sox

The Red Sox appear to have a good problem on their hands when it comes to Garrett Whitlock.

Boston entered the 2022 Major League Baseball season knowing Whitlock was capable of being a highly effective relief pitcher. Whitlock proved as much as a rookie last year when he become one of the most important arms on the Red Sox’s entire pitching staff.

But dating back to late April, Whitlock has shown signs of being a reliable starter. Over his first three starts in the big leagues, the 25-year-old only surrendered a combined two earned runs on seven hits with 18 strikeouts in 12 total innings.

Whitlock turned in his latest sharp outing Wednesday when the Red Sox squandered five solid innings from the budding star in an extra-innings loss to the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park. Boston’s bullpen fell apart in the late frames, prompting some fans and media members to suggest Whitlock is more valuable to the Red Sox as a reliever.

But what does Whitlock himself say about his open-ended situation?

“I’m not worried about it,” Whitlock told reporters Wednesday, per MLB.com. “Whenever they tell me to pitch is when I’ll pitch, whether it be the first inning or what. Whenever they tell me to go, I’ll go.”

To some extent, Whitlock’s role with the Red Sox doesn’t matter. If his fellow pitchers aren’t able to get their jobs done on a consistent basis, Boston probably won’t be playing baseball in October.