Did you hear that? It was a collective sigh of relief from Boston Red Sox fans.
The Red Sox announced Friday that they had placed Garrett Whitlock on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow ulnar neuritis. The second fans heard Whitlock's name coincide with an elbow injury their minds went to the worst case scenario; Tommy John surgery.
Luckily, the man himself has gone to ease some of those fears.
"We're not concerned with it being anything like Tommy John," Whitlock said Friday, per team-provided video. "Not really worried about the ligament at this point."
Given the nature of elbow injuries for pitchers, as well as Whitlock's history of having had Tommy John in 2020, it's easy to understand the panic. That usually is the immediate response to such injuries, as it is a harsh reality that the majority of all Major League Baseball arms have to go through the surgery at some point.
That doesn't appear to be the case yet, however, as the move was made retroactive to April 25 with the hope that Whitlock will only miss a pair of starts. Brayan Bello will take his place in the Red Sox's rotation. Whitlock was scheduled to start Saturday against the Cleveland Guardians, but that spot likely will go to Bello.
The Red Sox kick off their series against the Guardians on Friday night at Fenway Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, following an hour of pregame coverage on NESN.
