The injury woes continue to stretch into the month of August for the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox announced Tuesday that they placed closer Tanner Houck on the 15-day injured list due to lower back inflammation. The move is retroactive to Aug. 6. To take Houck’s spot on the active roster, Boston recalled reliever Kaleb Ort from Triple-A Worcester.
It’s not known how Houck suffered the injury, as the 26-year-old hadn’t pitched in a week — his last appearance came on Aug. 2 when he tossed 1 2/3 perfect innings to earn a save against the Houston Astros.
Houck had performed well after transitioning from a starter into Boston’s closer, converting eight of nine save opportunities. The right-hander compiled a 5-4 record on the season to go along with a 3.15 ERA in 32 appearances.
With Houck now sidelined, the Red Sox will have to establish another closer. Red Sox manager Alex Cora could easily go with either Garrett Whitlock or John Schreiber in the role with both of them being undoubtedly Boston’s two best options out of the bullpen.
It will be interesting to see how Cora manages closing situations going forward, starting Tuesday when the Red Sox host the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game with NESN 360.
